


The Witching Hour

by tale_to_tell



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Abusive Michael (Supernatural), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Angst, Blood, Castiel and Dean Winchester Have a Profound Bond, Forced Bonding, Happy Ending, Hurt Dean Winchester, Hurt/Comfort, IT DOESN'T HAPPEN, Injury, M/M, Michael Being an Asshole (Supernatural), Minor Animal Injury, Mutual Pining, Near Death Experiences, Nightmares, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Castiel (Supernatural), Protective Dean Winchester, Protective Sam Winchester, Rape/Non-con Elements, Strong Castiel (Supernatural), Strong Dean Winchester, Tags May Change, Witch Castiel (Supernatural), Witch Michael (Supernatural), Witch Sam Winchester, Witch's Familiar Dean Winchester, but it's a familiar so idk if that counts, creepy Michael
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-09-10
Packaged: 2021-03-03 20:14:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 9
Words: 29,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24811405
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tale_to_tell/pseuds/tale_to_tell
Summary: Castiel, a witch with more power than he'd like, has long since given up on finding his familiar. Resigned to living out the rest of his days unbonded and magically handicapped, Castiel moves to the middle of nowhere.He most certainly wasn't expecting to find an injured familiar in his garden.
Relationships: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Michael/Dean Winchester
Comments: 166
Kudos: 515
Collections: Ships





	1. Ferrety Behavior

**Author's Note:**

> I don't own supernatural

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Supernatural

_Blood._

_So much blood._

_Castiel was covered in it._

_It was everywhere, soaking his clothes and staining his skin. He was practically swimming in it._

_A flash of light before his eyes, and then blinding pain in his head._

_A body lay before him, still and broken._

_"No!" Castiel screamed. He fell to his knees besides the figure and pulled him into his arms._

_He was too late._

Castiel woke up gasping for breath and clutching the sheets tightly between his fingers. A chill ran through his spine, making him shiver and pull his sheets tighter around him, never mind that he was already sweating and shaky.

He sat in his bed trembling for several long moments. Then, he forced himself to glance at his clock.

It was just after six in the morning, and the light was beginning to peak through his windows. So, at least Castiel had managed to sleep for five hours. He groaned and rubbed his eyes, then pushed himself out of bed.

He had nightmares often, for no discernible reason. Gabriel thought that Castiel should see a psychic-witch. Maybe his brother was right about that.

Castiel made himself a cup of herbal tea to help calm his nerves. It did help his trembling, but there was still leftover anxiety pulsing in his veins.

Castiel wandered out of his home and into his garden. He found it relaxing and peaceful to be outside in nature, probably because he was an elemental witch.

It was a little windy outside, but Castiel did not mind. His wind chimes twinkled softly and light bounced prettily off of the spinning glass. A few birds chirped their greeting at him, watching closely for a sign of bird seed.

"I am sorry, friends, I have nothing for you right now." Castiel said. The birds hopped a few paces near him, still eyeing his empty hands. Then they fluttered their wings unhappily and flew off.

Castiel continued through his garden towards the pond. There was a bench that overlooked the pond and surrounding lands that Castiel spent a lot of time sitting on. He found that it was a great place for him to gather his thoughts. The bench was not a true bench, but rather an apple tree that's stump had grown in the shape of a chair under Castiel's gentle influence. It was a good tree.

Castiel sat down on the bench and let out a long exhale. The growing sunlight was warm and comforting. It soothed away aches in his joints that he hadn't even known he had. At thirty-one, Castiel was already growing old.

A few bunnies hopped up to Castiel and sniffed curiously at him before leaving to find something to munch on. Bees buzzed nearby and sometimes landed on Castiel's coat for a moment of rest. The fish poked their heads out of the water to stare at him before quickly swimming away with a sudden splash.

It was peaceful.

As the sun lifted higher and the day grew warmer, Castiel began to feel better. He stood up and stretched, then moved around to his back shed. He ran a small novelty gift shop for a living, selling various things like small plotted plants, weak, white magically-charmed talismans and amulets, colorful gemstones, herbs for tea, and wooden carvings. His house was rather secluded, but there was a sign at the end of his long dirt driveway advertising the trinkets he sold. Most of his customers were tourists passing by that wanted something to give to their friends and family.

It was a Saturday, so Castiel's store was closed. He usually spent his weekends replacing the items that had been sold. His shed was full of all the things a witch could want. He had an area marked specifically for the rarer items he owned. His whole shed was warded, but the wards were even stronger around those rare items. 

Most of his charms had been sold over the week, so Castiel got to work on making new ones. The charms were simple, insignificant ones. Most of the charms that Castiel made he sold as 'bad luck repelling' charms. These charms varied despite the fact that he sold them under one name. They were anti-theft charms, sleep and rest charms, mild healing and good health charms, to name a few. Some were more specific, like hair-regrowth charms. Whatever type of charm Castiel made, he always made them weak or mild so their effect would be slow and mostly unobtrusive. He didn't want to draw any attention to himself. 

It was easy for Castiel to make the charms as types of jewelry to be worn by whoever bought them. He sold gemstones and made normal jewelry as well, since it was such a popular thing. The wooden carvings were popular too. Castiel made them in random shapes, usually like an animal of some sort.

The rest of what he sold did not normally sell as well. Sometimes his customers would purchase one of his small potted plants or his tea, usually though it was a local from the town and not a tourist. Gabriel always told him that he would make more money if he moved closer to town or opened his shop there, but Castiel did not care. He preferred to be more secluded. 

Castiel spent the day in his shed and walking to and from the his shop, which was the front part of his house. He paused a few times throughout the day to greet the animals that visited his garden. It was mostly small rabbits with twitching noses and trembling whiskers, but sometimes Castiel would see a garden snake slithering by. 

Midday, Castiel forced himself to take a break and eat lunch. He made himself a salad, for all the power he had as a witch, he was awful at cooking. Gabriel found glee in that. 

Castiel ate his lunch outside and shared it with the animals that approached him. He gave a few carrots to the rabbits and berries to the birds. A deer trotted towards him and quietly took a leaf straight from Castiel's hand before it wandered off. Castiel didn't mind too much that they fed on the plants in his garden since he could easily supply his plants with more energy to regrow whatever had been chomped off. 

Castiel continued to work in his shed for the rest of the afternoon until dinner. Once again, he ate his meal outside in his garden. Since the sun was setting, there were a few nocturnal animals that came over to him. An owl landed besides him and hooted cheerfully before taking off. A badger lumbered by. Several opossums, a mother and her four babies, sniffed at him curiously before moving along. 

Once Castiel had finished his meal, he stood and returned to his home. He did the dishes and cleaned up, and then he got himself ready for bed. It was quite early in the evening still, but Castiel had nothing else to do. He got in bed, under the covers, and twitched on his lamp so that he could read. It took him hours before he was actually able to fall asleep. 

*****

Castiel woke gasping, as he did every day, but for the first time it was not because of a nightmare. Outside, thunder crackled and lightning flashed in a furious summer storm. The storm itself had not woken Castiel, there was something more that was making Castiel uneasy. The hair on the back of his head were on end and his stomach churned with the feeling of impending doom. 

Castiel slipped out of his bed and shuffled down the hall with the intent of making himself some tea. He paused when he heard the voiceless cries of his plants. Something was agitating them too, which was most unusual. Castiel had all of his land warded so he would know if any ill-meaning spirit entered. 

With a frown, Castiel opened his backdoor and peered outside. A quick spell created a ball of light so that he could see into his garden. There was nothing out of the ordinary, but his plants still called for his presence and intervention. 

Castiel was curious then, and he took a few steps outside, barefoot and without any covering. He was almost instantly soaked, but he did not care. He followed the whispering voices of his plants and allowed them to guide him where he was needed. Tendrils curled around his legs and urged him forward, almost forcefully, until Castiel was near the end of his property. 

The plants withdrew from Castiel's legs, leaving him standing next to several large bushes with no clue as to what they wanted. 

"What is it?" Castiel asked. The bushed swayed around, but that may have been because of the winds. 

Castiel took another step towards his wards, pausing when his plants called him back. He kneeled in the mud and looked around. Once again, the bushes swayed, and Castiel caught a glimpse of fur. He frowned and moved to his stomach, gently pushing away the branches of leaves of the bush until the fur was revealed to him once more. 

It took a moment for Castiel to process what he saw. There was a small, rain-soaked ferret curled tightly into itself. Its head was buried against its belly and under its paws and tail. Its fur was brown, but besides that Castiel could not see well enough to discern any patterns. What was the most obvious and concerning was the stretch of blood that matted the ferret's side. 

"How long has he been here?" 

The plants answered that it had been hours since the ferret had come and hours that they tried to rouse Castiel from his slumber. 

"Hmm." Castiel hummed. He reached out cautiously for the ferret.

As soon as Castiel's hands brushed the ferret's side, the ferret jumped to its feet, hissing viciously with its teeth bared. 

Castiel drew back, startled. 

The ferret glared at him, still snarling and spitting. It's back was arched and it tail was puffed and held high. 

"I won't hurt you." Castiel said, his words intertwined with calming magic that would would coax the ferret into relaxing. 

To Castiel's surprise, he felt his magic hit against a barrier and the ferret let out a scream followed by another hiss. It snapped its jaws in Castiel's direction. 

"You're not normal." Castiel murmured thoughtfully. 

The ferret hissed. 

"There is no reason to be scared." Castiel said softly. "I have no intention of bringing you harm. I am concerned for your health, your side is badly wounded." 

The ferret's tail lowered, though its teeth were still bared. At least he was listening to Castiel. Some of Castiel's magic had to have worked, then, if the ferret was able to understand him. 

"I would like to take you home and bandage you. It is cold and wet out here, your injury could get infected. You may leave as soon as you would like after that." 

Slowly, the ferret lost its aggressive stance. Its ears pricked and it rose his neck high, whiskers twitching. 

Castiel moved his hand towards it, palm-up, and waited patiently for the ferret to inspect it. 

The ferret touched Castiel's hand with its paw cautiously, then glanced up at Castiel. When Castiel did nothing else, the ferret started to climb up Castiel's arm. Castiel froze as the ferret reached his shoulder. Its nose tickled when the ferret sniffed Castiel's neck. 

Finally, the ferret settled down on Castiel's shoulder. It pressed itself against Castiel's neck, small claws digging through the thin pajama fabric. 

Castiel stood, careful to make sure the ferret did not lose its balance, and started off towards his house. He could feel the small creature pressing itself close to Castiel's neck. Tremors ran through its body. It must've been freezing. 

Castiel felt his garden calm as it passed through, though the feeling of concern was still strong.

Once he was inside, Castiel took the ferret to the bathroom and got a towel. He placed the towel on the bathroom counter and then gently raised a hand towards the ferret. He could see it sniffing his hand out of the corner of his eye. 

"I'm going to pick you up now." Castiel said. He waited a moment, then reached for the ferret with a hand and gently grabbed it behind its front legs. He moved his other hand to steady the ferret's hind legs and placed it on the towel with care. Then, Castiel started to dry the ferret off by bundling it up with the towel. It stared up at him, its nose twitching. 

"Feeling better?" Castiel asked.

The ferret sneezed. It shook itself off, sending droplets of water flying. Its fur stood up on end, rather cutely. 

"I'm going to get you some food, okay?" Castiel said. "Stay here." 

He pushed the order through with just a bit of magic, hoping to get his point across more. Once again, Castiel felt his magic rebound against something and the ferret hissed. 

Castiel frowned at the ferret, perturbed. He had no idea why his magic wasn't working with the ferret. 

The ferret hissed again. 

"I apologize." Castiel said. "I will not be trying that again. Please stay put." 

Castiel left the kitchen. His words alone were probably enough to keep the ferret there. 

Castiel had some raw beef in his fridge that he had been planning on using to make a burger, but he didn't mind sacrificing some of it for the ferret so he put it on a plate. He also got a small, plastic Tupperware filled with water. 

The ferret was still bundled up in the towel when Castiel got back to the bathroom. It eyed the plate of beef. 

"Here." Castiel said. He put the plate and Tupperware down in front of the ferret. The ferret sniffed tentatively at the beef and then started to nibble at it. It was only a few seconds before the ferret was gobbling the meat down in sporadic and snappish bites. 

Castiel shivered. He hadn't changed out of his soaking wet pajamas yet. 

"I will return soon." Castiel informed the ferret. It did not look up from its meal. 

Castiel quickly went to his room where he stripped and changed into dry clothes. He brought his wet clothes back to the restroom to dry them. The ferret glanced up at him briefly, but it was still mostly interested in eating.

Castiel took the ferret's distractedness as an opportunity to subtly probe at the ferret's mental barriers. The ferret froze, ears pricking, and Castiel paused. He kept his face impassive when the ferret looked at him as it licked its mouth. It stared at him for a second more, making Castiel's heart speed up. Could it tell what he was doing?

The ferret looked back at the meat and started eating with gusto once again. Castiel let out a quiet breath. He resumed his probing again, even more cautiously than before. 

Castiel was a little surprised to feel magic pulsing along the ferret's barriers. His immediate thought was that a magical being had put a spell or something on the ferret. There were a multitude of reasons why a magical being would use a spell on a ferret. The most likely reason, that Castiel could think of, was that the ferret was needed for a spell of some type and it needed a sort of magical enhancement. It could be something different, though. Maybe the ferret had witnessed something and so the magical being had blocked other magical beings from seeing the ferret's memory. The ferret itself would find no significance in the memory, it likely did not even remember what had happened. But the memory would still be tucked away. 

Castiel brushed up against the magical barrier lightly, and his frowned deepened. The magic did not seem to stem from anything other than the ferret itself, which meant that the ferret was producing it somehow. 

The ferret finished the last of the meat and started to lap up the water. Then it looked over at Castiel curiously.

"Do you feel better?" Castiel asked. 

The ferret chirped in response. It started to move on top of the towel and push it around with his nose. Then he settled on top of it in a curl and he released a pleased huff. 

Castiel smiled at the sight. 

"Would you like to sleep on a pillow?" Castiel offered. The ferret chirped again, which Castiel took as a 'yes.' 

"I'm going to pick you up again." Castiel said. He took a step towards the ferret and slowly held out his arms. When the ferret made no movement, Castiel picked up the ferret and held it close to his chest. It squirmed a little in his hold, but Castiel didn't sense any distress. He brought the ferret to his bedroom and put it down on the bed. 

"Just a moment." Castiel said. 

He took a moment to grab a medium-sized wicker willow basket from the hallway closet. He usually used it for his laundry, but he did not mind making it into a temporary ferret bed. Castiel also got one of the spare pillows and put it in the basket. The sides of the basket were a bit higher than the pillow, so hopefully it would discourage the ferret from exploring for now. Castiel used one of his older sweaters as a blanket since the only spares he had were much too big for the makeshift bed. 

Castiel put the ferret's bed down besides his own and then looked up at the ferret. 

To Castiel's amusement, the ferret had fallen asleep buried between the cushions on his bed. 

Castiel wasn't really tired, so he decided to do a bit of research. He knew there would spells that could undo spells of other magical creatures. Castiel knew a few off the top of his head, but they were more specific and supposed to be against other witch-magic, so he wasn't sure if he should try using it on the ferret. Castiel supposed he only had one chance of undoing the magical barrier on the ferret. Whoever had casted the spell would probably be alerted right away, which would cause them to try and strengthen the spell. 

Castiel had many books to help with this. It took him about an hour to find a general spell-reversal spell that should not bring any harm to the ferret. It was simple too and didn't require any ingredients, which was good. 

Castiel returned to his bedroom. The ferret was still sound asleep on Castiel's bed. Castiel took a deep breath before swiftly reciting the spell. 

The ferret jumped up immediately, puffed like a cat. It screeched horrible and charged towards Castiel. It leaped off the bed and towards Castiel. Mid-jump, the spell seemed to kick in and the ferret seem to shimmer. 

Castiel was too distracted to move away, and the ferret rammed into him. It took Castiel by surprise because the ferret was _much_ heavier and bigger than it should have been. Castiel went toppling to the ground and grunted. A large weight landed on his chest, knocking the wind out of him. 

Castiel gasped for breath and stared up at the shimmering form on top of him.

A second later, there was a man with bright green eyes straddling Castiel's chest and pinning Castiel's arms down. 

The man was naked.

He was also very, _very_ angry.

Ferret!Dean ^^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> the school year ended so I decided to celebrate by starting another wip! I plan to update every Friday or every-other Friday 
> 
> Okay I absolutely love isolated/powerful Cas and injured Dean who's still super cool and I also love writing dean as a ferret because I think ferrets are adorable
> 
> Let me know what you think! hope everyone has a great weekend :)  
> -cap out-


	2. Getting Familiar

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own supernatural 
> 
> last chapter recap: Cas found a ferret in the garden and it transformed to an angry, naked man, obviously

"Name one good reason why I shouldn't snap your neck right now."

If Castiel wasn't still shocked and terrified by the ferret's spontaneous and violent transformation, he would've shivered from the deepness of the ferret-turn-man's voice.

Instead of replying, Castiel just sent a burst of wind that pushed the man off of him and back against the wall.

"I'd thank you not to threaten me in my own home." Castiel said calmly. The man snarled, his hair puffing ever so slightly.

Castiel tilted his head. The man didn't seem to be a shapeshifter, his wards would've detected that.

"Oh," Castiel said, growing more interested with realization, "you're a familiar."

The man snarled and strained against the wall, but Castiel's magic kept him put.

"Fuck off, buddy." He said, teeth bared.

"But this is my home." Castiel replied.

"Then let me out of here!" The man hissed.

Castiel looked over him thoughtfully. He could see that the wounds had transferred to the familiar's human state. Castiel felt a pang of guilt when he realized he'd forgotten to treat the injuries beforehand, he'd been too preoccupied by how the ferret's chilled shakes and hunger.

The wounds weren't deep or serious, thankfully, but it did make Castiel uncomfortable to see.

He released the familiar. Immediately it lunged for him, forcing Castiel to push him back again.

"Please, do not attack me. I don't wish to use my magic on you."

The familiar growled softly.

"Just stay for a moment, I'd like to heal you."

"I'm not letting you touch me with your magic." The familiar said, glaring.

Castiel considered that for a moment. "Okay."

He released the familiar again. This time, it moved around hesitantly but did not attack.

"Follow me, please."

Castiel left the room for the bathroom, trusting that the familiar would just follow him. He was not disappointed. 

The familiar stood in the doorway and shifted. He radiated discomfort. 

"Take a seat on the toilet." Castiel said as he got his first aid kit. The familiar shut the toilet lid and sat down. 

Castiel took a moment to observe the familiar. There were some deep gashes on the familiar's limbs and lesser ones on his torso. None of the wounds were actively bleeding, as far as Castiel could tell. He did not know much about first aid without the help of magic, but he thought it would be a safe bet to rinse out the wounds and bandage them. The familiar listened to Castiel's soft instructions, only flinching every now and then. 

Castiel took a step back once he'd bandaged all the visible wounds. "Do they hurt?"

The familiar shook his head. 

"Good." Castiel said. "I am going to find you some spare clothing." 

Castiel went back to his room and got a few of his older pajamas, just some sweats and a soft shirt. 

The familiar was standing up in the bathroom when Castiel returned. Castiel offered out the clothing for him, and the familiar eyed it a moment before taking it. 

"I will be waiting in the kitchen." Castiel said. 

The familiar only nodded, still staring down at the clothes. 

Castiel heard the bathroom door lock once he had left. He waited a moment to see if the familiar needed anything. No sound came from the bathroom so he walked over to the kitchen with the decision to make two cups of coffee. He had a feeling that the familiar would not want to sleep around a stranger, or he would leave right away. 

He had barely started on the first pot when he heard the bathroom lock click. Hesitant footsteps sounded in the hallway, then the familiar peered around. 

"Thanks." He said, voice gruff.

"It is no trouble." Castiel replied. "I'm making you some coffee."

"So you can poison me?"

"No," Castiel sighed, "there's nothing wrong with the coffee. I will even take a sip if that would help to ease your concerns." 

The familiar huffed and turned away. 

"My name is Castiel." Castiel said. "I did not realize you were a familiar when I found you, otherwise I would have not forced you from your animal form."

"Yeah, that hurt, you dick." The familiar grumbled, still not looking at Castiel. 

"I apologize." Castiel said. "I just wanted to make sure that you were well, and I didn't understand the magical barrier."

"Magical barriers usually mean privacy." 

"Once again, I did not realize you were a familiar. I believed you to be a normal animal spelled by a magical being. I wanted to make sure that the reasoning behind the spell would not bring you harm." 

The familiar stared, looking dubious. Castiel ignored him in favor of finishing up the coffee. He put the first cup on the far end of the kitchen counter, leaving plenty of room between himself and the familiar. He took the second cup and sat down. 

"Cream or sugar?" Castiel offered. The familiar took a hesitant step forward and then another. He sat down at the counter and sniffed at his coffee. 

"I'm good." He said. He took a small sip and tensed, like he thought something would happen. 

After a minute of nothing, the familiar relaxed a bit and took a second, larger sip. 

"Is it good?" Castiel asked. He didn't make coffee very often since he preferred tea. 

"Yeah, it's good." The familiar answered, nodding his head. "Thanks." 

Castiel smiled. "It was nothing." 

The familiar hummed and kept his gaze down on the drink. Though he had relaxed more he was still clearly on edge. His eyes darted around every so often, like he was trying to check the place out without being obvious. Castiel was admittedly fascinated and intrigued by the familiar's presence. It had been years since he had seen a familiar in person, and even then it had been from afar. Castiel had once hoped he'd find himself a familiar, though that dream had crumbled with time. Still, Castiel was interested in this strange familiar.

"I can feel you staring." The familiar said without looking up.

Castiel startled slightly at that, regaining awareness of himself. He did tend to stare and his mind often wandered and it had never really bothered him, but for some reason, now Castiel found himself embarrassed and flushing. 

"My apologies." Castiel murmured. "I am curious about you." 

He expected the familiar to grow defensive again, but instead the man just looked up at Castiel. 

"My name is Dean." He said. 

"Hello, Dean." Castiel said. 

Dean watched him for a moment. Castiel had nothing else to say and no reaction. He wasn't sure what Dean seemed to be waiting for since Castiel had already introduced himself.

"You live out here alone?" Dean asked. 

"I do." 

"There other witches nearby?"

"Not for miles. The closest is a few hours away." Gabriel insisted on being "near" Castiel, even though Castiel always said that he was okay by himself.

"What kind of witch are you?"

Castiel tilted his head. He felt as though Dean was interrogating him. Perhaps Castiel should have gotten upset or defensive because of this, but instead he only grew more interested. 

"I am an elemental witch." Castiel said. 

"How powerful are you?"

Castiel shrugged as an answer. He did have some things that he preferred to keep to himself. Dean had no following questions, he just stared at Castiel with inquisitive, perceptive eyes. 

"May I ask what you were doing in my garden?" Castiel asked. 

Dean froze, his eyes wide. "I was just, uh, passing through." 

Castiel frowned. "You passed out underneath my bush." 

"I was tired." Dean replied defensively, his cheeks pinking. "It was an accident."

"How did you get your injuries?" Castiel questioned. 

Dean swallowed, his shoulders and jaw held stiffly. 

"I got attacked by another animal." He said after a moment of silence. Castiel thought he was lying, but he did not say anything about it. 

"Okay." He said instead. "Will you be staying the night?"

Dean's eyes flashed towards the exit before coming to rest on Castiel again. They looked more determined and focused this time. 

"I will not keep you here against your will." Castiel said, refraining from rolling his eyes. "If you would like to leave, feel free to do so. I would, however, prefer if you stayed, at least until the rain stops. I would like to make sure that you are warm and well-fed."

"Why?" Dean asked, suspicious. 

"Because it is clear to me that you would benefit from some care." Castiel answered bluntly. He tried not to be too straightforward when he was speaking with others as they tended to find it unpleasant or rude, but Castiel thought it was important that Dean know the motivations behind Castiel's actions. 

Dean blinked a couple of eyes, looking surprised. He wet his lips and looked down at his hands, which seemed to be a nervous trait. Then he looked back up at Castiel. 

"Thank you." He said, his voice quiet and rough. "Is there someplace you want me to sleep?" 

"The bedroom is fine." Castiel answered. He was unprepared for Dean's eyes to flash angrily and for the familiar to pull into himself in a defensive position.

"I'm not a hooker!" Dean snapped. 

Castiel quickly rose his hands in a placating manner. "I did not mean to imply that I thought you were. I would just like you to sleep on my bed tonight. It is the most comfortable place in the house and you need rest to heal." 

Dean shifted, his eyes squinted. "Where will you be sleeping?"

"The couch." Castiel answered. 

"Yeah?"

"Yes." Castiel said. Dean stared at him for a long time before he looked away.

"Okay." Dean gave a curt nod. "Thanks." 

"It is no problem." Castiel hummed. "My bedroom door has a lock as well, if you feel as though it will help you." 

"Couldn't you just break the door?" Dean asked dubiously. 

"Yes, but I thought you would appreciate the security anyways."

Dean gave him a lopsided smile. "I do. I'm gonna go to bed now."

"Of course. I will be out here if you need anything from me." 

Dean pursed his lips and gave his head a quick bob. " 'Kay. See you tomorrow." 

Castiel watched the familiar leave the kitchen, then he started collecting the empty mugs to wash and put them away. He hadn't been completely truthful with Dean. It was unlikely that Castiel would be able to sleep at all for the rest of the night, though he would use the couch if he did feel the need to sleep. Castiel only planned to read for the remainder of the night. He would be exhausted in the morning, but it wasn't like Castiel wasn't used to it. 

The book that he had been reading was still in his bedroom, so Castiel chose a random one from his bookcase. He tried to immerse himself in reading, but for the first time ever, Castiel was unable to find interest in the book. He was far more interested in learning more about Dean and where the familiar came from. Castiel briefly considered calling Gabriel to alert him of the situation, but he remembered how suspicious Dean had been about other witches, so he decided against it. 

For the rest of the evening, and very early morning, Castiel kept himself busy by cleaning up his house. It was already very tidy, but he found little things to organize and rearrange. He was almost obsessive with his cleaning, not stopping until he heard the bedroom door's lock turn and the door open with a low creak. 

Castiel put down his broom and waited for Dean's arrival. The familiar moved out from the hallways. He yawned and rubbed his eyes, looking like he hadn't slept a wink. Castiel thought that his own features probably mirrored Dean's.

"How did you sleep?" Castiel asked anyways. 

"Fine." Dean replied. He voice was rough and deep, and Dean cleared his throat. "You?"

"I slept well." Castiel softly replied. He glanced at the clock and saw that it was just past six. Still early. "Would you like breakfast?"

"Sure." Dean said. He yawned again and stretched. Castiel looked away to avoid staring at the expanse of skin that showed when Castiel's spare shirt rode up on Dean's stomach. 

"Are eggs acceptable?" 

"They're good." 

Castiel and Dean stared at one another for a moment, rather awkwardly, until Castiel swallowed and turned to start cooking. He was hyper-aware as he got the eggs from the fridge and started up the stove. It wasn't often that he had company, and Castiel didn't think that he had ever made someone breakfast. 

"Is pepper okay?" He asked. Castiel glanced over his shoulder. 

"Yeah." Dean said. He was sitting at the kitchen counter and staring down at the top with a sort of pensive gaze. 

Castiel looked back at the eggs and resisted the urge to look back around. He split the eggs into two servings and then then handed Dean a plate. 

"Thanks." Dean mumbled as he took a bite. 

"You are welcome." Castiel replied. Instead of eating, Castiel watched Dean eat. The familiar shoveled down the eggs like it was the first meal he had had in weeks. Perhaps it was. 

Dean finished before Castiel had taken two bites. He looked up at Castiel sheepishly and put his plate down.

"Would you like more?" Castiel asked, offering his own plate. He watched Dean's eyes follow the plate of eggs. The familiar licked his lips.

"You sure?"

"I am not hungry."

Dean seemed to have a short internal debate before he nodded and took Castiel's plate. Castiel watched Dean eat again. This time the other man ate slower. His eyes closed after each bite and he looked like he was savoring it. It made Castiel tilt his head. His cooking way okay, but it certainly wasn't as amazing as Dean was making it look. 

"So what's the plan for today?" Dean asked through a mouthful. 

"What?" Castiel asked, startled from his thoughts.

"What's the plan for today?"

"Well," Castiel started, forming his words slowly, "I thought that I would clean and redress your wounds. After that you would be free to go. If there's any place you would like to be, I will do my best to get you there." 

Dean paused in his eating, his eyes meeting Castiel's. "There's no where."

Castiel blinked. "Okay."

Dean put the plate down on the counter next to his empty one and turned away. Castiel felt a pang of... something. He felt that he should offer his hospitality too Dean. It was clear that the familiar had no one to care for him. 

"Would you like to stay here?" Castiel offered. 

Dean raised an eyebrow. "What do you want?"

"Nothing at all." Castiel answered. He forced himself to be absolutely still as Dean regarded him. 

"What's in it for you?"

"I want to help you because I feel as though it is the right thing to do." Castiel explained. "I do not expect anything in return." 

"Hmph." Dean hummed and looked at his hands. "Your wards any good?"

"Pardon?" Castiel's eyebrows rose in surprise. 

"The wards around your house," Dean elaborated, "how good are they?"

"They are incredibly strong." Castiel said. "It is very unlikely that a magical being could track you through them or enter without my permission." 

Dean chewed at his lip, his gaze focused on the counter. 

"Yeah." He said. "I want to stay here. You gotta let me help out though." 

"If that is what you wish." Castiel replied, his mouth pulled into a solemn line. Though he felt assured now that Dean was safe and secured, he couldn't help but feel as though it was an undesired decision on Dean's behalf.

"I gotta lot of shit in my past, man." Dean said guardedly. "You okay with that?"

"Yes." 

Dean nodded minutely, his eyes traveling low to the ground and his jaw clenching. "What do you do here?"

"I own a novelty shop." Castiel answered. "A few of the townspeople enjoy it, though I get mostly tourists." 

"What do you need me to do?"

Castiel tilted his head. "Are you comfortable with being my familiar companion?"

Dean's eyes flashed and he tensed. A clear no. Castiel ducked his head to hide his disappointment. He had never expected to have a familiar, but he had entertained the thought before and it appealed to him. 

"If not, I can think of other things for you to do." He said. "If you were my familiar, however, I would not require a permanent bond." 

"You wouldn't?" Dean asked, his eyebrows raising. Castiel could understand his surprise. Temporary bonds were impersonal and easily broken. Accordingly, temporary bonds were also much weaker than permanent bonds. The magical gain from a temporary bond would be significantly less than a permanent bond, but with no previous relationships with a familiar Castiel had no problem making a temporary bond. 

"Not at all." Castiel shook his head. "A temporary bond is all I would ask of you." 

"A temporary bond?" Dean questioned, looking thoughtful.

"Yes." Castiel said. 

Dean bit his lip, then nodded tersely. " 'Kay. If you swear it'll be a temporary bond, then I don't mind helping you as a familiar." 

Something like adrenaline flooded Castiel's veins and he breathed in deeply. He really hadn't expected Dean to be okay with it. Castiel never thought he would have the chance to have a familiar, even with just a temporary bond, and he was _excited_. 

_I really should tell Gabriel._

"What is it that you need me to do?" Dean grumbled. 

"I focus most of my magic on maintaining my garden and monitoring the weather." Castiel answered with a hum. He turned towards the back door and started for it. "Would you like to come with me?"

"Sure." Dean joined Castiel as Castiel opened the back door and took a step outside. 

"It is rather remarkable that you were able to pass my wards. They are supposed to alert me if another magical being tries to enter, and they should keep most magical beings out." 

"So they're broken?"

"No." Castiel scoffed, almost offended. "I can assure you they are strong and well. It is just an abnormality that you were able to pass with no resistance and without notice." Well, that was not completely true. The garden had notified Castiel, but the wards still should have felt something. 

"Whatever, man." 

Castiel strolled leisurely throughout his garden. He stopped and kneeled by a few plants that were a little wilted and sent just a bit of magic to heal them and guide them in growth. They trembled in response.

"You sell any produce?" Dean asked. He was looking around the garden with an impressed expression. It made Castiel proud.

"I do sell produce." Castiel answered. "Only on Farmer's Market night, though. I sell other things too."

"Like what?" 

"Knickknacks, trinkets." Castiel shrugged. "Charms, too." 

"Charms?" Dean's tone sharpened considerably, making Castiel pause. 

"White-magic charms." He elaborated. "Small, inconsequential charms with good luck purposes."

"Oh." Dean said. He sounded more subdued. 

"They are low-powered, but I would still appreciate if you aided me when I make them." Castiel said. "It will be good practice."

"Okay." Dean shrugged. "Now?"

"No." Castiel shook his head. "There are other things I need to do now, but you are welcomed to help me."

Dean silently followed Castiel around all morning as Castiel tended to his garden. He entered Castiel's shed with Castiel and watched as the witch carved more figurines. It felt odd to know that there was someone watching him, but Castiel continued to ignore Dean. He thought that the familiar must've been bored, but Dean never complained. 

For lunch, Castiel led Dean back to the house. This time Dean made Castiel food. He insisted on it. He made them both peanut-butter and jelly sandwiches, probably because Castiel was running low on groceries. Castiel appreciated the simplicity and deliciousness anyways. 

After lunch, Castiel spent time restocking his store. Dean sat on a chair in the corner and fiddled with his thumbs. He seemed to be drifting off, his head would bob up and down ever-so-often, like he was trying to stay awake. 

"Dean, I have no need to make new charms, feel free to rest. I plan on taking inventory now."

"If you say so, Cas." Dean said, leaning back in his chair. 

Castiel raised an eyebrow. "Cas?"

"Eh, yeah." Dean said. "It's short for Castiel. That cool?"

"Yes, it is fine." 

Castiel hadn't had a nickname before. Well, Gabriel called him a variety of names but it stemmed mostly from teasing. 

"Is there a name you would prefer me to call you?" Castiel asked. He couldn't think of a shorter version of 'Dean,' but it wouldn't hurt to ask. 

"Nah." Dean said. "Just Dean works." 

Castiel nodded and went back to taking inventory.

"You're an odd guy, you know?"

Castiel couldn't say he was surprised by the content of Dean's comment, but he _was_ surprised that Dean was even initiating a conversation. 

"So I have been told." Castiel said neutrally. "I do not conform to society's standards."

"Not what I meant." Dean said. "I just think it's weird that you're letting me live in your house and you know nothing about me." 

Castiel shrugged. "Your presence does not threaten me in the least, so there is no need to know more about you." 

"Sheesh, you're blunt."

"My apologies." Castiel said, wincing. He did tend to be too straightforward. 

"It's fine, man." Dean replied. "I don't really care."

"That is good. My "people skills" are "rusty." "

Dean snorted. "I can tell. Doesn't bother me." 

Castiel glanced up from a shelf to look at Dean. The familiar had his arms crossed as he leaned back in the chair, but he looked relaxed.

"You find it odd that I had no concern to learn more about you, but I find it odd that you are not more concerned with me. I told you that I am powerful." 

"I dunno." Dean said. "If you wanted to hurt me, or something, wouldn't you have already done it?"

"I suppose I would have." Castiel said. "Would it be too invasive if I asked about you?"

"Depends on what you ask." Dean answered, his tone guarded. 

"Your familiar form is a ferret. That is not very common."

Dean shifted and averted his gaze. "Yep." 

"How many forms do you have?" Castiel questioned. Most familiars had two or three forms, but the stronger ones could have four or even five. The magical boundary that Dean had had was powerful, so Castiel assumed Dean would have multiple forms. The fact that Dean had been a ferret too, rather than a more common animal like a dog or cat, was another display of Dean's power.

Surprisingly, Dean seemed to grow even more uncomfortable. This made Castiel a bit worried that he'd overstepped. Maybe Dean had only one form and he was ashamed of that. 

"Uh." 

"Do not feel obligated to tell me." Castiel hurriedly said. "I do not mean to offend you." 

"Nah, it's fine, man." Dean still did not meet his eyes as he rubbed at the back of his neck. "I don't really know." 

"What do you not know."

"I don't know how many forms I've got." 

Castiel's eyebrows raised and he stared incredulously at Dean. "What do you mean?"

"I've never really found a limit." Dean explained. "Whatever animal I've tried to be, I can become it." 

"That," Castiel broke off, completely stunned, "that is not possible." 

"Yeah, well, it is." Dean said. 

Castiel continued to stare at Dean. He had _never_ heard of a familiar with infinite forms. 

"You need me to prove it?" Dean asked. 

Castiel debated it within himself for a moment, then shook his head. He trusted Dean, and, just as importantly, he wanted Dean to know that Castiel trusted him. 

"I believe you." He said. "I am just... surprised." 

"Yeah," Dean bit out a sour-sounding laugh, "I get that a lot."

"I can imagine." Castiel said. "I appreciate that you told me."

Dean narrowed his eyes at Castiel. "That's it? You don't want to know anything else?"

"Whatever you feel comfortable sharing with me is completely fine."

Castiel went back to working, very aware that Dean was staring at his back. 

"You're odd, man."

Castiel couldn't help but grin a little. 

"Thank you, Dean." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for not updating last week I'm surprisingly busy and for some reason I can't seem to get myself to write when I actually have time lol
> 
> What kind of animals would you like to see Dean as??
> 
> how was everyone's week? excited for fourth of July?   
> Let me know what you think! Have a great week and stay safe :)  
> -cap out-


	3. Befriending Dean

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Supernatural 
> 
> Recap: The ferret Castiel found was actually a familiar, and he agreed to a temporary bond with Castiel. Dean is a very powerful familiar since he has no limit to the amount of forms he can become

"So what is it exactly that you do?"

Castiel sighed. "As I have said, several times, I own a novelty store." 

"Yeah, I know you keep sayingthat, but I mean, like, what do you _do_." 

"That makes no sense."

Dean let out a frustrated sigh and kicked at a pebble. He'd only been with Castiel for a couple of days, but he'd taken to following Castiel around the garden.

"What magic do you do?" Dean clarified. 

"I support my garden and create simple white-magic charms, Dean, I have said this-"

"Besides that!" Dean interrupted with an exasperated huff, and Castiel could not help but grin. He knew Dean was not truly upset and for some reason it amused Castiel to see Dean all riled up. 

"There is not much else that I do." Castiel said. "If the weather is exceptionally dry or rough, I will intervene a bit."

"That's it?" Dean asked.

"Sometimes I will heal injured animals I come across." Castiel answered. "I also use it when I am carving or making things for my shop."

"No healing miracles for the people or anything?" 

"There is no need." Castiel shrugged. "The town is small and the people are relatively healthy. I do not wish to draw unnecessary attention to myself."

Castiel felt that Dean was staring at him, so he glanced over his shoulder. "What?" 

"Nothing." Dean looked away, flushing to his ears. "You're just different from the other witches I've met."

"Oh?" Castiel said curiously. "How many witches have you met?" The witch population greatly outnumbered the familiar population, so it wasn't much of a surprise that Dean had met multiple witches. 

Something dark flashed over Dean's expression. 

"Too many." He said.

"Sorry." Castiel said quietly. "I didn't mean to pry."

"Whatever." Dean shrugged his shoulders. "How many familiars have you met?"

"Only two." Castiel answered. "Both were bonded."

"What were they?"

"A crow and a horse. Nothing spectacular." 

"Well," Dean said, smirking, "not everyone can be as great as me." 

"No." Castiel agreed. "If you are comfortable with it, I would love to see you in a familiar's form again."

"You would?" Dean asked. He tensed a little, making Castiel wince. Castiel was aware that a familiar's form could make the familiar vulnerable. Even familiars with multiple forms could be vulnerable in whatever form they became since the form was often highly influenced by the familiar's emotions and instincts. The more powerful and experienced a familiar, the easier it was for them to control which form they became in times of high stress, but one could never be too certain. 

"If you do not want to shift, that would be fine, too." Castiel said. "I just find it fascinating." 

"Well, you _are_ putting me up." Dean said after a moment of thought. "What do you want me to be?"

"Whatever you would most like to be." 

Dean rolled his eyes. "You've gotta be a little less vague, dude."

"I am serious, Dean, whatever form you choose is fine."

"Alright, jeez." Dean grumbled. He closed his eyes and his brows furrowed as he concentrated. Castiel watched as Dean seemed to shimmer. Seconds later, a brown tabby cat stood in front of him and on top of Dean's clothes (which were really just Castiel's spare clothing). Dean's nose twitched and his ears flickered. He was probably adjusting to his new senses. 

"Incredible." Castiel breathed, crouching to get a better look. Dean stared back at him impassively. He sat down and curled his tail delicately around his paws. 

"Can you change from one form straight to another?" 

Cat-Dean closed his eyes and began to shimmer once more. Then, the cat was replaced by a large German shepherd. 

"That is amazing." Castiel said, full of awe. Dean barked in response and parted his jaw, his tongue lolling. Castiel reached out to pet Dean, but he froze when Dean quickly bared his teeth and snarled. 

"I am sorry." Castiel quickly withdrew his hand. "I got ahead of myself." 

Dean licked his nose and huffed. 

"I wish I could understand you." Castiel said. "I suppose that easier communication will come with our temporary bond."

Dean nodded, his ears flapping, and barked again. 

"When would you like to form it?" 

Dean closed his eyes. His form shimmered until a human was sitting in front of Castiel. 

And he was naked again.

Castiel quickly looked away and pulled back. He could feel his cheeks heating. It was a downside of familiar transformations - their clothes did not travel with them. 

Castiel heard shuffling, then a muffled, "Done."

Castiel looked back and saw that Dean had redressed himself. Dean gave him a lopsided smile. 

"I, uh, I can form the temp bond with you when you want." He said, a bit hesitantly. "I don't really know the process for that kind of bond, but I know it's different from a permanent bond." His last words sounded like a warning of sorts, like he expected Castiel to trick him into a permanent bond. 

"There's no real process, not like with a permanent bond. It's made as soon as I use your assistance when performing magic." Castiel explained. "It is very simple, actually. We can work on it now, if you wouldn't mind." 

"Yeah, that's fine." Dean nodded. 

Castiel glanced back at his garden. "I just want to use a small growth spell on these flowers, if you wouldn't mind."

"Okay. Do you need me in my familiar form?" 

Castiel hummed thoughtfully. It would be easier for Castiel to access Dean's magical reserve with Dean in his familiar form and the reserve would be more powerful, but Castiel could use Dean's assistance even if Dean was a human still. 

"You can stay as a human if you would like." Castiel said. "This won't take much power." 

In a surprising show of trust, Dean shifted. He appeared to be a grey fox of some sort. He sat down and watched Castiel expectantly. 

"Thank you, Dean." Castiel said. He focused back on his flowers, closed his eyes, and evened his breathing. He sought out for Dean with his magic and found it almost immediately. This time, instead of being shoved back by a barrier, Castiel was allowed a hesitant entrance. Dean's magic reserve seemed to course with power. It was incredible to feel the magic wash over Castiel. It was invigorating and stimulating, like coming up for fresh air or reaching the top of a mountain. Castiel felt Dean's power surge through Castiel. It was beautiful and bright. Lively. 

It felt like Dean. 

Castiel let out a shuddered breath and released the spell in a hurried stream of whispers. He opened his eyes as the magic poured from him, a shockingly powerful outburst. The bush in front of him greened rapidly and then bloomed with fervor. Castiel pulled back, stunned. Fox-Dean shivered and moved away. 

Castiel relinquished his hold on Dean's magical reserve. He felt as the wave of Dean's power pulled away, though a residue bond was still leftover. It was thin and fragile, but it would allow Castiel to access Dean's magic whenever he needed it. It would fade with time, unless Castiel kept using it. If Castiel kept using it, it would grow with familiarity to Castiel's magic, but never to the extent of a permanent bond. Dean could break it off at any time without consequence. 

Dean shifted to a human once more and changed quickly, so Castiel didn't even have a chance to look away. 

"Wow." Dean breathed, meeting Castiel's eyes. "That was... _wow_." 

"Indeed." Castiel replied, a bit breathlessly. "I must admit, I did not expect it to feel so pleasurable."

Dean's nose wrinkled. "Don't say it like that, man, that's a little creepy." 

"Euphoric?" Castiel suggested. 

"Yeah, better." Dean said. "It did feel good, better than any of the other bonds I've had."

"You've had other bonds?" Castiel asked, surprised. Dean must've had several temporary bonds, because it would be incredibly painful to break a permanent bond, even dangerous if the bond was strong enough. 

"Yeah." Dean said with a sigh. "Don't wanna talk about it." 

Castiel nodded, not at all surprised by Dean's shut off. He was a little more attuned with Dean's emotions now because of the bond, not by much but enough for Castiel to know that Dean was feeling uncomfortable. 

"I appreciate your help." Castiel said. He gestured to the flowering bush. "I believe that my plants do as well." 

Dean huffed a laugh. "Yeah?"

Castiel could feel his garden singing their praises on Dean. 

"Yes." He said with conviction. "They enjoy your presence greatly."

"That's good to know." Dean said. "Anything else that you need to do?"

"Are you ready to go again?" Castiel asked. Dean had a large magic reserve, but the beginning uses could be taxing on both of them until they got used to it. 

"Yeah, man." Dean nodded. To prove his point, he shifted back into his fox form.

"If you say so." Castiel started walking along the paths in his gardens with Dean padding beside him. Whenever there was a plant that needed an extra bit of care, Castiel would tap into Dean's reserve to give his magic an extra boost. Castiel was already powerful enough that doing this type of work would not affect him too much, but with Dean's help he never felt even the slightest tingle of exhaustion. They adapted to one another much quicker than Castiel would have originally guessed. 

Afterwards, Castiel and Dean went back to the house for dinner. As he did every day, Dean insisted on cooking for Castiel. The familiar had revealed to Castiel that he enjoyed cooking, so Castiel gladly allowed him to do so. That evening, Dean made them lasagna. 

"This is delicious." Castiel complimented. A brilliant flush bloomed over Dean's nose and cheeks, making his eyes even more green. Castiel found that he really liked making Dean blush.

Castiel cleaned up the dishes after dinner since Dean had cooked, then he retired to the living room to read. Dean often sat with him without speaking. Castiel had asked him before if he got bored, but Dean insisted he did not. 

This time, though, instead of simply sitting down on a chair on the other side of the room, Dean stood next to Castiel. Castiel looked up at him and cocked his head. 

"Yes?" He asked. 

Dean altered his weight from foot to foot, eyes flickering away like he was uncomfortable. 

"I hope you don't mind, uh..." he shook his head, "just wait." 

Castiel was even more confused than before, but then Dean shimmered and shifted. 

The cat from before stood at Castiel's feet, his tail raising slowly in a hesitant greeting. 

"Why have you shifted?" Castiel asked, frowning. 

Cat-Dean crouched and flattened his ears. Castiel could sense his discomfort.

"I do not mind if you stay like this." Castiel assured him. 

Dean relaxed and then jumped up onto the couch near Castiel. He kneaded a pillow a couple of times before laying down and making himself comfortable. Castiel couldn't help the quirk of his lips at the sight. 

"Comfortable?" He asked. 

Dean stared back at him with half-lidded eyes and nodded. 

"Good." Castiel went back to reading, all too aware of the cat beside him. 

Dean seemed to have fall asleep. His breathing was slow and even. Occasionally he would twitch and then fall still. It was all very relaxing and almost domestic. 

Castiel found his own body slowing and his eyes slipping shut until he resigned himself to sleep. 

* * * * *

_Blood._

_There was blood everywhere._

_Castiel jolted where he stood and spun, searching for_ something _. Malicious chuckling echoed in Castiel's ears and a shiver ran up his spine._

_He ran._

_He was trying to reach something, but he didn't know what._

_All he knew was that he was absolutely terrified._

_Something called for him, ached for him in the distance and Castiel ran towards it with all the strength left in his body._

_The chuckling grew only louder._

_"Too late." The same voice taunted victoriously in Castiel's ear. "Too late."_

_"No." Castiel panted. He had no idea what he had lost but he felt it burning horribly in his chest._

_"Yes." The voice replied, laughing. "You failed, little witch."_

_"No!" Castiel fell forward and suddenly he was drowning, drowning in blood._

_It was everywhere. I soaked up his clothes and dragged him down. Castiel was submerged in it._

_He tried to scream but only tasted the metallic flavor of blood._

* * * * *

Castiel woke gasping. It was such a familiar feeling and yet still so alarming. He shot up from where he had been slouched, fists clenching onto the couch around him. His mouth tasted like metal, and it only took Castiel a minute to realize his had bitten viciously through his tongue. He rubbed against his mouth in an attempt to wipe away the lingering taste of blood. Shudders still rocked his frame. 

"Mrow?" 

Castiel jerked and whipped his head towards the noise. 

Cat-Dean stared up at him, his eyes large. "Meow?" 

"Hello, Dean." Castiel said. He wiped the sweat away from his forehead and swallowed roughly. "I didn't mean to wake you." 

Castiel took in his surroundings. It was still bright in his living room since he'd been reading. His back ached terribly - he must've been asleep for a couple of hours.

"Mrow." Dean brushed his head hesitantly against Castiel's arm and tilted his head. Castiel could feel his concern across their bond. 

"I am fine." Castiel said. "Just a bad dream." 

Dean's nose twitched. He watched Castiel closely as he moved forward so he was standing on Castiel's lap. Dean looked away, then he curled himself up.

Castiel stared down at the cat in his lap, full of shock. He reached down and ran a hesitant hand down Dean's back. Dean tensed briefly, but he relaxed again and even pressed a bit against Castiel's hand. Encouraged, Castiel continued to pet through Dean's soft fur. He found himself reacting to the calming nature of petting a cat. His heartbeat slowed to a bearable pace and his breathing evened out. 

Dean purred softly and twisted under Castiel's hand so Castiel was petting more of his side. Castiel made the mistake of petting Dean's stomach. He got a warning nip in return and pulled his hand back a bit. Dean purred again and rubbed his head against Castiel's leg. A bead of drool exuded from the edge of Dean's mouth. Castiel expected to find this repulsive, but since Dean was a cat it was surprisingly enduring.

Dean's tongue peeked out from his mouth and stayed there, like he didn't know it was happening. Castiel thought it was adorable. 

"I've never had a pet." He mused aloud. 

Dean's eyes opened and narrowed at Castiel, making him backtrack. 

"Not that I meant to imply you are a pet." He said. "I have never really been in the presence of a domestic animal, though. You act remarkably naturally as a cat." 

Dean must've been pleased with Castiel's explanation because he closed his eyes. Castiel resumed his petting.

"Do you enjoy being in your familiar form?" He asked. 

Dean nodded. 

Castiel hummed as he threaded his fingers through Dean's soft coat. 

"Thank you, Dean." Castiel said quietly. "This has helped immensely."

Dean meowed and stretched, his claws extending. It made Castiel smiled and he had the sudden urge to play around. 

"Who's a good boy?" Castiel teased in a high voice. Dean grumbled and glared at him. 

"No?" Castiel asked. "You're not a good boy?"

Dean hissed. 

"Tsk." Castiel tutted. He tapped Dean's nose gently. "Good boys get yummy treats. Are you a good boy?"

Dean's deadpanned glare made everything funnier to Castiel and he couldn't keep back the bubble of laughter building in his throat. Dean batted a paw up at Castiel's face but Castiel just continued to laugh. 

Dean meowed angrily and shifted so he was sitting on Castiel's lap. He padded off, tail whacking Castiel as he did so. Dean moved to the other end of the couch and settled with his back facing Castiel.

"Are you a grumpy cat?" Castiel asked. He watched Dean's ear flick in irritation. Then Dean shimmered and his cat form was replaced with his human form. Castiel looked away, once again caught off-guard by Dean's nudity. 

"Safe now." Dean grumbled. 

Castiel looked back at him and squinted. 

"You make terrible jokes, by the way." Dean said. "Grumpy cat? That's so old, man." 

"Pardon?" Castiel asked. "What do you mean?" 

"You know who Grumpy Cat is, right?" Dean said. 

Castiel shook his head. 

"Are you serious?" 

"Yes." Castiel said. "I have never heard of this cat you speak about." 

"He's like a seriously popular media icon." Dean told him, sounding incredulous. "How could you not have heard of him?"

"I do not know much about popular culture." Castiel shrugged. "It has little relevance to me." 

Dean stared at Castiel until the witch started to squirm uncomfortably.

"I guess I'm gonna have to educate you then." Dean said with a decisive nod. "Not tonight, though. It's too late. I gotta get my four hours. You okay to sleep?" 

Castiel could feel the genuine thoughtfulness from Dean's side of the bond and it was touching. He wasn't used to having people care about him, besides Gabriel, but Gabriel had a strange way of showing he cared (it usually involved actions where Castiel had to remind himself that it was the thought it counts). 

"I will be fine." Castiel said, surprised by how truthful it felt. Usually he struggled to fall back asleep after a nightmare, especially one like the had that night, but he felt better after interacting with Dean. "Thank you for remaining shifted, it really helped."

Dean blushed, but he grinned. "No problem, man." 

"Do you often lounge in you familiar form?" Castiel asked curiously. 

"Sometimes." Dean said, his face still red. "It can get kind of uncomfortable to go without changing for a while."

"I thought that most familiars feel more vulnerable in their familiar forms." Castiel said. 

"Yeah, well, it helps when you're somewhere safe." Dean replied. He looked away and Castiel could feel him blooming with embarrassment. 

_Oh._

Dean trusted him. 

Castiel felt his chest warming at the thought and he smiled. 

"Okay, Dean." He said. "I am glad you feel safe here." 

"Whatever." Dean mumbled, still embarrassed. " 'Kay, I'm going to bed now. See you in the morning." 

He was out the door before Castiel could reply, but his brusque exit did nothing to deter Castiel's smile. He stood and stretched before he started walking to his room. 

He was very happy that Dean felt comfortable with Castiel. It felt more like companionship. With that in mind, Castiel found that it was easy for him to fall back into a peaceful sleep. 

Tabby cat Dean^^^

German Shepherd Dean ^^^

(Pampas) Fox Dean ^^^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Can I update anything on time? Apparently not.
> 
> Just a little clarification: for the most part, familiars with multiple forms can control which one they become, but at times of high stress they have less control - for example, if a familiar could become both an eagle and a mouse they are more likely to become a mouse when they are frightened if they have the flight instinct (instead of fight or freeze), more powerful or experienced familiars have more control over what form they become when stressed but it can take a lot of practice. Additionally, a familiar with multiple forms can simply shift without choosing a form and can just allow their emotions to pick the form for them
> 
> I was gonna try to make this a slow burn but it's hard when Dean and Castiel are just so right for one another
> 
> Also - I'm sure most of you are familiar with this trope and already know where this story is heading, and I have decided that with this type of trope it would make more sense to have Michael instead of Alastair so I have changed the tags to have Michael instead... it will be the same story with a different character
> 
> Give me ideas for what to make Dean & let me know what you think!!!  
> Stay safe and have a great week :)  
> -cap out-


	4. Heated

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Supernatural

It did not take Castiel long to discover that Dean loved being in his familiar form. He hadn't expected it since Dean had been so defensive at first, but Dean spent much of his time as some sort of animal. The most common form that Dean took was as a brown tabby cat, though his German Shepherd form was also a favorite. Dean had also found amusement in surprising Castiel in his form by hiding around the garden and house and jumping out. More often than not, Castiel fell back on his buttocks with Dean above him laughing in whatever animal form he decided.

Castiel would always grumble as he pushed himself up and brush off his pants, but truthfully he enjoyed their camaraderie. It was nice to have Dean around. 

Often, Castiel found himself worrying about when Dean would leave. He'd already adjusted so quickly to the familiar's presence, it would be difficult to get back to normal without Dean. But Dean never gave any indication that he wanted to leave. He never said anything about his past or his future. Castiel was a bit curious, but he respected Dean's privacy. The last thing he wanted to do was scare Dean away by asking too many intrusive questions. 

So, Castiel could do nothing be relax and enjoy the time he spent in Dean's company. 

They fell into routine easily. Throughout the day, Dean would help Castiel around the garden and shop. While in the shop, Dean would help out and pretend to be an employee. In the afternoons, after Castiel had closed up the shop, he and Dean spent more time relaxing in the garden or in the living room. Dean cooked the two of them every meal. Breakfast usually consisted of eggs and bacon, though lunch and dinner varied. Dean was particularly fond of meat-based meals, which Castiel had no problem with. It was a bit strange to think that he was an elemental witch that ate meat, but he also knew that animals ate other animals - it was nature. Not to say that he had anything against vegetarians or vegans, but he wasn't planning on giving up his burgers anytime soon. 

About a month after Dean had joined Castiel, Castiel found himself waking up from a dream. It was far from the nightmares that normally plagued him. This dream had been a bit more... inappropriate. Castiel had woken gasping and heated from the remnants of his dream. 

A dream that had revolved around Dean. 

The immense amount of guilt that flooded Castiel was just as efficient as taking a cold shower. He sat straight in his bed, panting, and trying to deal with the sudden onslaught of shame he felt. How could he think such thoughts about Dean? Dean trusted him. Dean had obviously been mistreated in the past. 

Castiel was so ashamed that he was unable to fall asleep for the remainder of the night and early morning. He tried to distract himself with reading, but all he could think of was how Dean felt in his dream, writhing and moaning and clutching onto Castiel. 

By the time Dean woke, Castiel was exhausted and full of anxiety. He couldn't bring himself to look Dean in the eye, even after Dean cooked him breakfast and greeted him with a sleepy "hello." Dean didn't seem to notice that Castiel was acting odd, probably because he was still waking up. 

Castiel excused himself right after breakfast so he could shower and get ready for the day. He took a longer shower than he normally did, admittedly so that he could avoid Dean more. Dean was waiting for him out in the garden when Castiel finally managed to pull himself out of his shower and get dressed. 

"Took your sweet time." Dean commented with his signature smirk. 

"I am more tired than normal." Castiel replied. 

Dean looked him up and down. "I believe it. You're not lookin' so hot, man." 

"Thank you, Dean." Castiel replied drily. "Let's get started." He busied himself with the garden, not giving Dean much an option to reply. Dean appeared next to him as a young buck. At this time of year, the buck's horns were still velvety and soft. Castiel fought the urge to brush his hand against it. 

Dean trotted behind him and nibbled on some grass. He'd explained to Castiel before that while he still had the mind of a human in an animal form, he would still feel animalistic instincts. The instincts would grow stronger the longer that Dean remained in a form, but they were always present and it was satisfying for Dean if he indulged in them a bit. Dean also explained that once he shifted back to a human he could still be influenced by whichever animal form he'd been last. It was rather amusing to watch Dean blinking slowly with half-lidded eyes after being a cat. 

Castiel closed his eyes and tried to clear his mind. He grasped onto his bond with Dean and reached for Dean's reserve. It flowed to him without restraint and Castiel was washed over in Dean's refreshing magic. He let out a breath. 

The bush he was focusing on was a little dry. Castiel touched a leaf lightly and watched as all of the leaves began to green. The leaves grew firmer too, and the branches stood out straight instead of limp. Castiel could feel the rush of contentedness from his plant. 

"Thank you, Dean." Castiel murmured. They moved onto the next plant.

Castiel's magic was familiar with Dean's by now and it was rather easy for Castiel to tap into it. Dean was powerful too, so Castiel could tend to his garden quicker than he had alone. 

Castiel finished his morning round near nine in the morning.

"Ready to open up?" Castiel asked. Deer-Dean looked at him and nodded his head. Castiel could feel Dean's magic ignite and he looked away instinctually as Dean shifted back to his human form.

"Tell me again why I can't just be an animal in your shop." Dean said. 

"Because, Dean, if a customer sees you as a bird and returns and sees you as something else, it may lead to questions." 

"Just say that you have a lot of animals." Dean shrugged. He moved to stand in front of Castiel and gestured towards his fully-dressed self, as if to tell Castiel that he was ready to go. Castiel started off for his shop. 

"I would prefer not to lie to my customers, Dean. Besides, saying something like that could still lead to more questions. It is easier to say that you are my employee. It's more accurate, too." 

Dean sighed. "Whatever, dude."

Castiel and Dean entered the shop through the back door. Dean instantly went to sit down on the chair pushed into one of the corners of the room while Castiel twitched the 'closed' sign to 'open' on the front door. Surprisingly, there was already someone waiting outside the door. Castiel opened it for the customer. 

"Welcome." He said.

The customer, a larger man with a beard, nodded his head. "Thank you. Got yourself some interesting things, huh?" 

"I think so." Castiel agreed. He moved behind the register and watched, uninterested, as the man perused through the trinkets.

"These charms work?" The man asked. 

"Yes, though there's no guarantee they will work well." Castiel replied. His charms would work, and they would work well, but the way they worked might be in a barely noticeable way, depending on what they were supposed to do. It was just easier to say it may not work well so that no one could accuse him of lying. 

The man hummed and moved to look at the tea. He paused as he neared Dean. 

"Hello, there." He held out a hand for Dean to shake. "The name's Benny." 

Dean pushed himself up. He grinned at the customer and took his hand. Castiel tried not to let it bother him. 

"Dean. Nice to meet ya." 

"You work here?" Benny asked. 

"You could say that." Dean answered. "What brought you in?" 

Benny shrugged and looked around the store. "I'm moving to town and thought I'd stop by. It looks like an interesting little shop." 

"It holds some surprises." Dean replied with a smirk. 

Benny eyed him with his own returning smirk. "I'd say it does." 

Castiel felt the need to clear his throat. 

The other men glanced over at him like they had forgotten he was there. 

"Are you going to buy something?" Castiel asked. He knew his tone was bordering on rude, but he found that he didn't care. 

"I suppose a good luck charm wouldn't hurt." Benny shrugged as he snatched one up from the table. He handed it to Castiel for the witch to ring up. 

"Will that be all?" 

Benny nodded. Castiel wrapped the charm up and but it in a bag. He handed it back to Benny. 

Benny glanced over at Dean. "Hope to see you around."

"Yeah, you too." Dean sent him what Castiel could only describe as a lecherous look. 

It made his stomach churn. 

As soon as Benny exited the shop, Dean rounded on Castiel. 

"What the hell was that?" He demanded. 

"What?" Castiel asked. 

"Don't play dumb." Dean growled. "You were such a jerk to Benny!"

That made Castiel even more cross. "I do not know what you are speaking about." 

Dean stared at him for a moment, but Castiel remained indifferent. A moment later, Dean huffed out angrily and turned away, arms crossed. He did not speak to Castiel until they closed up in the afternoon. 

For some reason, that made Castiel more upset than when Dean had been chatting with Benny. 

Dean returned to his deer form for the afternoon round through the garden. There wasn't much to do. There were a few wilted plants here and there and some nibbled leaves, but nothing difficult to tend to. 

It was a little on the warm side when Castiel finished, so he and Dean headed into the house to rest. Castiel served himself water and gave Dean some iced tea. The familiar wrinkled his nose but did not comment. Castiel figured Dean would prefer more alcoholic drinks, but it was much too early for that, in Castiel's opinion. Dean had never argued with him about it before, anyways. 

Castiel settled in the living room on the couch with a book. He waited to see how Dean would be joining him. Dean lingered in the doorway, looking unhappy. 

"You're welcome to sit, Dean, you know that." Castiel said. 

"I know, Cas!" Dean replied, his voice sharp. "Don't know if I want to, is all." 

Castiel tilted his head. "Why would you not want to sit and read?" 

"Because I'm upset with you, man!" Dean said as he threw up his arms. "God, are you really this dense."

Apparently he was rather dense. He hadn't realized Dean was upset, and he could only guess why Dean was upset. 

"I do not understand." 

Dean rolled his eyes and huffed under his breath, "Of course you don't." 

This prickled Castiel with irritation. 

"Why don't you explain it to me, then?" He asked with a tinge of impatience. 

"You were being a jerk to Benny." Dean said. 

Oh. Back to this, then. 

"I was being perfectly professional, Dean." Castiel said, his tone hard. "Something you should do well to remember."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" Dean snapped. He marched up to Castiel and glared at him with his hands on his hips. 

Castiel shrugged. "I noticed that you were friendlier with Benny than you normally are with customers."

"Why do you care?" Dean demanded. "It's none of your business if I flirt with someone." 

Castiel felt very cold. The cold twisted deep in his belly and sunk low. 

"You're right." He relented. "It _is_ none of my business. My apologies." He looked back at his book and pointedly ignored Dean. 

Dean stood still for a moment. Castiel could feel his annoyance and frustration through the temporary bond but he was intent on ignoring it. 

"Fine." Dean grumbled. He turned and walked out the door. 

Castiel pointedly did not watch him go.

Dinner was an uncomfortable affair. They always ate dinner together and there was no where to hide. They ate in silence. 

After dinner, Dean surprised Castiel by not shifting and instead choosing to sulk in his room in his human form. Castiel did not go after him. He couldn't explain exactly why he was upset with Dean, but he was also reluctant to think about it. 

Castiel did not want to consider that maybe he had feelings for Dean. 

That was ridiculous. 

Dean was his guest, his charge. It would be highly inappropriate. 

Unfortunately, Castiel's logic and reasoning and guilt did nothing to stop his nightmares from being replaced with dreams of Dean in intimate situations. 

Castiel woke in the middle of the night, once again full of heat and shame. 

Dean as a buck^^^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this chapter was pretty short and very late and I am sorry, the chapters will probably come every other week, but I'll do my best to update on time 
> 
> who else loves when Castiel struggles with his growing feelings for Dean?? plus Jealous Cas is my jam - it's all sparking some tension between our two boys
> 
> I hope everyone has an awesome week!  
> -cap out-


	5. Heart to Heart

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Supernatural

"Do you miss your family very much?" 

Both Castiel and Dean froze at Castiel's words. They had been unexpected, to say the least. Castiel had been sitting at the table and Dean had been drinking his morning coffee across from him, just starting to regain life in the early morning. Castiel had thought that if he enjoyed Dean's presence so greatly, someone else must've been missing him too. 

It wasn't the wisest thing to ask. Dean was still a bit miffed from the whole Benny debacle, even if that had been a whole week ago. 

Castiel wouldn't admit that he was very glad Dean hadn't bothered to go find Benny, and Benny had never come back. 

Dean hunched in on himself a little at Castiel's probing question, making Castiel's stomach clench with regret. 

"I am sorry." He murmured, eyes downcast. 

They were silent.

"Yeah, I do." Dean spoke quietly but he still managed to startle Castiel. The witch stared at him, shocked that Dean had answered. 

"I don't have a lot of family members," Dean continued, "but this is the longest I've gone without them in a while." 

"A month is a substantial amount of time." Castiel mused. "You must be awfully close." 

Dean shook his head. "We're close, yeah, but it hasn't been just a month." 

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that I haven't seen them in a year."

"Oh." 

"Yeah." Dean sighed and leaned back in his chair. "It sucks, but it's life." 

"Why don't you try to contact them?" Castiel asked. 

"Best if I don't." Dean answered, as if his response truly cleared anything up. 

Castiel was curious. 

"Did you get into a fight or something?" He questioned. He knew he was pushing his boundaries, but Dean had hardly spoken of his past since arriving. 

"Nothing like that." Dean replied. He shifted in his seat, looking uncomfortable. 

Castiel raised an eyebrow. 

Dean relented. "So obviously you know that I'm pretty powerful. I come from a pretty powerful family. I'm not bonded, so there's kind of a lot of witches who want to bond with me. I wouldn't want to put my family in danger if anyone tried to use my family to get to me." 

It wasn't the explanation that Castiel had been expecting, but it certainly made sense. It explained why Dean had not immediately revealed himself as a familiar and why he had been so guarded around Castiel.

"There are ways to contact them without letting anyone know." Castiel said. 

"Nothing's perfect, Cas." Dean said, his voice slow and somber. "Better safe than sorry." 

Dean fell silent and stared mournfully into his coffee. 

Castiel also looked away, feeling uneasy. He shouldn't have pushed. Even if Dean was opening up, the conversation had clearly made him unhappy. 

"I've been disowned." Castiel said. "I have but one family member that still speaks to me." 

"Shit, Cas, I'm sorry." Dean said, turning. "Look, man, you don't gotta say any of this to me." 

"I trust you, Dean." Castiel replied, holding Dean's gaze. He saw the surprise flicker across Dean's face and felt it flare through the bond. Dean ducked his head. 

"You must think it strange that I live alone, near no other witches." Castiel started. He waited for Dean's hesitant nod before he continued. "I was once part of a large coven that was run by my family. I am the youngest of several siblings, so I was often overlooked in favor of my older brothers. They were - _are_ \- more powerful than I am, but I was young and brash and determined to prove myself. I made mistakes, pushed myself too far."

Castiel paused. It hurt to even think about his past, but speaking about it, for the first time, was even worse. 

"I've felt your magic." Dean said, watching Castiel. "You're really powerful. Are your brothers actually more powerful than you?" 

Castiel smiled grimily. "They are indeed, and you are correct in your observation. I am very powerful. At the time, though, just the knowledge that I am stronger than most was not enough for me. I wanted to outshine my siblings. I was naturally talented and so my lessons came easily to me, but it was not enough. I tried to perform on a level I was not capable of and my sister received the consequences of my actions." 

"What do you mean?" Dean asked. 

"I was not experience or strong enough to maintain the spell I'd attempted and so it combusted. I would have killed myself, as well as many others in my coven, had my sister not used her own reserve to smother my magic down." Castiel took a shuddering breath and turned away. "My rogue magic was too powerful for her to extinguish completely, and so she channeled the rest into herself. It took all of her magic and there was none left to protect her from the surge of mine. She was killed." 

Castiel fell silent. His chest churned with anguish and overwhelming guilt. He'd been so foolish, so arrogant, and Anna had paid the price. 

"Damn, Cas." Dean said softly. 

Castiel closed his eyes and took a steadying breath. He wouldn't blame Dean if the familiar decided to leave. 

Castiel was a monster. 

There was a swish from behind and a flash of magic across their bond before a golden retriever walked into Castiel's frame of vision. The dog stared at Castiel and wagged his tail hesitantly. Dean took a step forward. When Castiel made no other movement, Dean took another step forward, then another, and he continued to walk forward until he was in between Castiel's legs. 

Dean sat down and rested his head on Dean's thigh. He looked up with him with large, puppy eyes and softly _whumph_. 

Castiel chuckled wetly and reached down to stroke Dean's head. His fur was soft and silky underneath Castiel's fingertips. He fought against the tears welling up in his eyes. 

Dean's tongue lapped gently against Castiel's palm. He supposed it should have been weird, but in actuality it felt soothing and grounding. 

"Thank you, Dean." Castiel said softly. He scratched behind Dean's ears and smiled when Dean's eyes closed and his jaw dropped so he could pant happily. 

Castiel rubbed a hand across his face, disposing of his tears, and then brought both hands to his lap. 

"I'm alright now." He said quietly. 

Dean opened one eye and peered up at him. He licked at Castiel's palm again. 

"You can change back, if you wish." 

Dean licked his nose and then rubbed his head against Castiel's knee. He looked up at Castiel pleadingly. 

"You want to be scratched?" He asked.

Dean rubbed his head against Castiel's knee again. 

"Alright." Castiel murmured. He started scratching Dean again and the familiar let out a content sigh. 

"Is this for me or for you?" Castiel questioned aloud. Dean, of course, had no response. 

They stayed like that for a while, until the clock chimed and drew them both from their thoughts. 

"We'd better get to the garden." Castiel said. He carefully pushed Dean back and then stood up. "Ready." 

Dean barked his affirmative and led the way out to the garden. 

Castiel's plants seemed to sense his sorrow. They were clingier than normal and they whispered appreciation as he passed through. Dean trotted loyally besides him the entire morning. He shifted inside the house before they both went into the front part of the house where the shop was located. 

Neither of them spoke. Castiel felt as though he should say something, anything, to Dean to break the sort of awkward tension that had fallen over them, but for the life of him he couldn't figure out what to say. He tried to remember what he and Dean normally spoke about, but even that ended up coming up blank. 

Dean settled himself in the corner, as he often did, and fiddled with some nearby charms. Castiel couldn't help but watch him out of the corner of his eye. 

The air felt tense.

"I ran away from home a year ago." Dean's deep voice broke through the silence. He hadn't looked up from the charms he was playing with in his hands. "My brother and uncle, they wanted me to stay, but I snuck away."

Dean fell silent, but Castiel did not say anything to push him. 

"We'd been getting threats." Dean continued after a couple of moments. "Witches wanted to bond with me, and they were tired of me saying no. The last letter I received said they would take it out on Sammy, my brother, unless I complied, so I ran away. I hoped that I could lead the witches away from my family. Didn't take long for a bunch of the fuckers to catch up with me."

"But what could they hope to accomplish by that?" Castiel couldn't help but ask. "A temporary bond does not do much to amplify one's strength, even with a familiar as powerful as you."

"They wanted a permanent bond, Cas." Dean explained. 

"But those require consent from both partners." Castiel protested. 

Dean looked at him with so much pity that Castiel felt himself flush with agitation. It felt condescending to see the expression on Dean's face when Castiel was the one that was the witch. He knew about magic and bonds much more than Dean did, no matter what the familiar thought. 

Castiel was about to snap at Dean and tell him that Dean did not know better than Castiel, but Dean spoke first. 

"Consent can be subjective, Cas." 

He sounded so hollow that Castiel nearly swallowed his tongue in his haste to shut his mouth. 

"What do you mean?" 

Dean let out long-suffering sigh. "The bond requires that both partners say 'Yes,' but it doesn't matter if one of them doesn't really mean it." 

"I don't understand." Castiel gritted out, frustration seeping into him. What was Dean trying to say? 

"There are methods to force someone to say 'yes,' Cas. The bond will form as long as both partners agree, regardless if one of them is being pressured into agreeing."

It clicked.

Some witch had _hurt_ Dean. 

He felt his magic flare angrily and suddenly his hair stood on end, static sparking at the tips of each strand. 

The way that Dean's eyes turned wary as he took a step back informed Castiel that Dean was very aware of Castiel's emotions.

He forced himself to settle and calm. There was no use getting upset. At least, not now.

"Did he succeed?" Castiel's voice came out as a low growl. 

Dean glanced down and away. He licked his lips. 

"Yeah." 

Castiel had to turn away and grip at the counter. 

It was absolutely abhorrent that witches were allowed to treat Dean, or any familiar, in that way. Familiars were not meant to be forced into bonds and used against their will. He could only imagine how horrible it must have been for Dean to experience it first hand. With just the short amount of time Castiel had known Dean, he knew that the familiar was stubborn and independent. No witch should have taken away his choice.

"How did you escape the bond?" Castiel asked, purposefully softening his tone. He didn't want to upset Dean or scare him away. 

"I broke it." Dean's reply was sheepish. "The fuckers must've thought that I was too scared to try it. I ran off, though, and broke it while we were separated. It hurt like a bitch, man, I thought I was gonna die."

"I am shocked you did not." Castiel admitted. Never had he heard of someone surviving a broken bond. Though, Castiel had only ever heard of how if one of the partners dies, the other will likely follow. Permanent bonds were rare because of their severity. The though of Dean going through such trauma and pain made Castiel's veins flood with adrenaline-fueled anxiety. 

"Pretty sure I only survived because I hated the witch and the stupid bond from the start." Dean said. "As soon as I could walk, I took off. That's how I ended up here." 

"So, you were running away the night that I found you as a ferret?"

Dean nodded. Then he bit his lip. "You gonna send me away?"

"What?" Castiel asked, aghast. "Why in the world would I do that?"

"Because I've got a mark on my back, man. I'm a fucking danger magnet." Dean replied, guilt pouring into their bond. 

"You are not a danger magnet." Castiel said. "It is not your fault that you are powerful. I swear to you, Dean, no matter who comes for you, you will always be able to rely on me to stand with you." 

Dean looked up sharply, his jaw slacking. He stared at Castiel with wide, vulnerable eyes, like he wanted to believe that Castiel was telling the truth but would not dare to hope so. 

"But I could get you hurt." Dean stammered. 

Castiel swiftly crossed the room to stand in front of Dean. He stopped when they were merely a foot apart and rose a hand to Dean's shoulder. 

"I do not care." He said, voice sharp and decisive. "I will do my best to keep anything, or _anyone_ , from harming you again."

Dean's bottom lip trembled. The familiar glanced away, though not before Castiel caught the sight of the shine in his eyes. 

"You hardly know me." Dean protested weakly. 

"I know enough." Castiel firmly replied. "I know that you love classic rock and old cars. I know that you have a strong affinity for pie and burgers. I know that you are loyal to a fault. I know that you are stubborn and strong. I know that you've been treated unfairly in the past and you deserve to have someone to protect you, whether you need it or not. Until the day you no longer want me, I will be that person for you." 

Trust and affection and _warmth_ bloomed across their bond and Castiel happily returned it back to Dean. 

"You're something else, Cas." 

It wasn't the most poetic of compliments by far, but to Castiel it was the best he had ever received. This was because Dean's compliment was accompanied with soft adoration at Dean's side of the bond. It made him feel strangely flustered and giddy. His stomach fluttered in a way that made Castiel want to duck his head and blush. 

"Thank you, Dean. Your words mean a lot to me." Castiel's eyes flickered downwards. 

"Why?"

Castiel startled at the question and answered before he could stop himself, "Because _you_ mean a lot to me." 

There was a beat of silence. 

_Fuck. I've said too much. He doesn't feel the same, he can't possibly feel the sa-_

Castiel's mind drew to a sudden halt when Dean surged forward and pressed his lips harshly against Castiel's. 

Castiel stiffened out of instinct, eyes widening. His left arm locked at his side while the right, which had been placed on Dean's shoulder, slipped behind the familiar in an awkward sort of hold. Dean must've taken Castiel's stiffening as a sign the witch was rejecting him because he pulled away quickly.

"Shit, I'm so sorry. I'm such a fucking idiot. I misread the situation, dammit, I'm so fucking sorry, man." Dean cheeks were flushed and his eyes were wide and panicked. He turned away and crossed his arms, practically curling into himself. Castiel could only stare blankly as Dean continued to ramble, "I'm really sorry, Cas. Fuck. We can just pretend this never happened, right?"

Dean looked at him with achingly raw desperation, but Castiel could focus on nothing but the feeling of his heart beating in his ears. 

Dean had _kissed_ him. 

It had felt amazing. 

Why weren't they still kissing. 

Castiel finally managed to turn his attention onto Dean. The other man looked absolutely devastated. 

Oh, that's right. Castiel still hadn't said anything. 

He needed to rectify this. 

Instead of speaking, though, Castiel just reached quickly for the collar of Dean's shirt so that he could pull Dean into another kiss. The familiar went willingly and their lips met one another once more. 

Castiel's eyes fluttered shut. This time, he could appreciate the kiss for all it was worth. 

Amazing couldn't even begin to describe how soft Dean's lips were and how sweet they tasted against Castiel's tongue. His hands slipped from Dean's collar and traveled down to his hips to grip at the skin there. Dean fingers tugged at Castiel's hair. 

Dean's lips parted against Castiel's and the witch did not hesitate in slipping in his tongue to deepen the kiss. Dean arched against him and moaned. 

Fuck. 

This wasn't at all how Castiel expected the day to go, but he was far from complaining. 

Castiel shoved forward, forcing Dean back until he met the wall. Dean broke away briefly to pant. He met Castiel's eyes. 

Dean looked absolutely wrecked. His eyes were glazed and half-lidded and his pupils blown wide. His licked his lips. 

"You're so fucking hot." Dean rasped. His hold on Castiel's tightened as he pulled Castiel forward to kiss again. 

This time is was Castiel that moaned into their kiss. 

Dean hiked his legs up and around Castiel's waist, drawing him closer so they rubbed against another in the best way. 

Castiel moved from Dean's lips to the long expense of his neck. 

"Fuck." Dean panted. "We should - ah - move this somewhere else." 

"Yes," Castiel rumbled against Dean's delicious skin, "perhaps that would be best." 

"Your voice is so fucking hot." 

Castiel traveled from Dean's neck to his collar bone and worked on sucking a mark. 

"Fuck, we gotta go." Dean returned his legs to the floor and pushed Castiel back. "Let's go."

Castiel nodded. He was more aroused than he could ever remember being, and it was making it _very_ hard to focus. He drew away and took Dean's hand. They stumbled towards the backdoor that led to the rest of the house, both unwilling to stop touching of the other and still trying to move as quickly as possible. 

Castiel paused just as the reached the door and turned towards the front of the shop. With a flick of his hand, the 'open' sign flipped to 'closed' and the door locked. 

Castiel looked back at Dean and found that the other man was already smirking back at him. 

"Got more pressing matters than running the shop, Cas?" 

"Yes." Castiel growled. "Something else caught my eye." 

Dean shivered and kissed Castiel again. Then, he opened the backdoor and started pulling Castiel towards the bedroom. 

This was _much_ better than any dream. 

golden retriever Dean ^^^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Y'all can probably tell, but I'm not very experienced at writing intimate / heated scenes so it's a bit of a learning process here... bear with me as I start trying new things lol
> 
> btw the picture of dear!Dean did not properly load for everyone last update so I changed it - in case there was someone who didn't see it
> 
> come hang out with me (and many other wonderful Destiel fans) on the [Profound Bond Discord Server!](https://discord.gg/profoundbond)
> 
> thanks for your patience, let me know what you think :)  
> have a greet weekend, everyone!  
> -cap out-


	6. Not So Domestic

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Supernatural

_Blood._

_Blood was everywhere._

_Someone screamed._

_Castiel whirled around, but all he could see was red._

_The scream came again, closer._

_"Cas!"_

_"Dean!" Castiel shouted._

_He ran forward, blindly stumbling and tripping. "Dean!"_

_A body appeared in front of Castiel. He stumbled towards it and dropped to his knees._

_"Dean!"_

_Castiel rose a shaky hand to brush against Dean's too-pale cheek._

_He was gone._

"Cas!"

Castiel jolted upright in bed, gasping. Tears streamed from his eyes, blurring his vision.

"Cas, you're okay." 

A warm hand enveloped Castiel's forearm, grounding him.

"Dean." Castiel rasped as he turned to the familiar. 

Dean's eyes were wide and illuminated in the moonlight. He looked worried and Castiel could feel the concern rolling off of him through their bond. 

"Nightmare." Castiel said, coughing. He looked away. 

"You wanna, uh," Dean paused and cleared his throat, "wanna talk about it?"

Castiel closed his eyes and inhaled deeply. "You hate talking about things."

"Yeah." Dean agreed. 

Castiel exhaled and leaned back. 

"No, thank you." 

Dean shuffled next to him. "Alright." 

Castiel moved away from Dean and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. 

"You want me to be a retriever again?"

Castiel smiled somberly at the ground and shook his head. 

Dean shifted, discomfort growing in their bond. Castiel had to consciously keep his own despair from responding to Dean's emotions. He had hoped that it would be different from Dean, but it was the same. As soon as Castiel lost control of himself and displayed how truly broken he could be, his company grew uncomfortable and left. It's what many of his 'friends' had done.

It's what Gabriel had done.

Castiel did not resent it or hold it against Gabriel at all. He knew that Gabriel had his own problems to deal with and having someone as miserable and cynic as Castiel around only served to trigger Gabriel, so he had needed to put some space between them. Maybe it would have been different if Castiel had taken Gabriel's advice and seen a psychic-witch.

It hurt, but Castiel understood. 

"Is this because of... what we did?" Dean asked quietly, his voice abnormally timid. 

What?

"Fuck, Cas, I'm real sorry if you're regretting this. I swear, I didn't mean to push you into anything! Fuck, man, I'll leave if you want me to-"

"No!" Castiel interrupted loudly, flailing in his attempt to grab onto Dean and prevent him from leaving. Dean froze under his hold. 

Castiel gasped heavily and worked to steady his breathing. 

"No." He said again, calmer. "Please, do not go." 

"Okay." Dean said slowly. "So you don't regret, uh, what we did?"

Castiel looked up to meet Dean's eyes. He took Dean's hand and squeezed it deliberately. 

"I do not regret anything that transpired between us, Dean." He said. "In fact, I hope that we can do it again, sometime." 

Dean blushed beautifully and swallowed, causing Castiel to stare at his throat. 

"Right, uh," Dean swallowed again and looked down at their joined hands, "that's good." 

Castiel couldn't help but smirk, the tension in his shoulders easing. "Very eloquent of you." 

Dean let out a huff and rolled his eyes, much to Castiel's amusement. 

"Don't gotta be a smartass." He grumbled, fingers twitching along Castiel's.

No longer fearful or panicked, Castiel leaned forward so his nose nearly brushed Dean's.

"My apologies." He breathed.

It was rather fascinating to watch Dean's pupils dilate and flicker down to Castiel's lips. Castiel licked them on instinct. 

"You're really fucking distracting, you know that?" Dean groused, sounding strangled. "You know it's probably not even that late. We haven't even had dinner." 

"Do you want dinner?" Castiel asked, inching closer still. 

"No-ot really." Dean stammered.

Castiel hummed and kissed him. "Neither do I." 

Dean leaned back, pulling Castiel with him so they were sprawled out along Castiel's bed, and just like that, the nightmare faded from the forefront of his mind. 

* * * * * 

Castiel woke before Dean early in the morning. It couldn't have been more than a couple of hours later. 

Dean was curled up against Castiel's bare chest, his breath tickling Castiel's skin. 

Castiel watched Dean sleep as he thought about his nightmare. He wondered if his dreams were something more than just dreams. 

The possibility that they were actually something to be feared, though, that terrified Castiel. He did not want to think about the chance that they were a sort of horrible, taunting vision of the future. 

Castiel had assumed, in the past, the nightmares were simply trauma from Anna's death, but as soon as he found himself growing attached to Dean, he began to fear that his nightmares were more than memories. 

The light was just beginning to overcome the dark, and it casted beams across Dean's sleeping form. He looked positively radiant with his freckles and smooth skin. 

Castiel would sooner die than lose him. 

He wasn't sure how long he watched Dean sleep and silently pondered his nightmares, but eventually Dean's eyes fluttered open and the familiar stretched along Castiel's body. 

It took a moment for Dean's eyes to focus completely on Castiel. Dean smiled sleepily at him. 

"Hey, sunshine." He greeted, voice raspy with sleep. "Take a picture, it'll last longer." 

Castiel felt himself smiling back. He leaned forward to kiss Dean. 

"Good morning, Dean." 

Dean stretched again, very much like a cat, and then slowly pushed himself up so he was sitting. 

"Time is it?" He murmured, rubbing at his eyes. 

Castiel glanced at his clock. "Just before six." 

"Too fucking early." Dean grumbled. "How do you like your eggs in the morning?"

"Scrambled is fine, Dean, you know that." Castiel answered. "You do not have to make eggs for me." 

Dean grinned. "You say that all the time, man. Have I ever listened?"

"No." Castiel answered with a chuckle. "You're a rather stubborn man." 

"Takes one to know one." 

Castiel huffed in annoyance as Dean pushed back the covers and moved to stand. 

"Can't stay in bed all day, Cas." Dean said chidingly. "We didn't have dinner last night and we worked up _quite_ the appetite last night so I am starving." 

"Fine." Castiel conceded. He followed Dean out of the bed and went to his dresser to pick out some pajamas. He handed a spare pair to Dean and shamelessly watched the other man change. Dean only smirked and checked out Castiel in return. 

They moved silently to the kitchen. Castiel could feel that his own bubble of warmth and giddiness was reflected across their bond. Dean was just as happy about their joining as Castiel was. 

Castiel sat down at the kitchen table and watched Dean move around the kitchen with ease. He shot Castiel beaming smiles as he cooked them both eggs, bacon, _and_ pancakes - a truly special breakfast. Well, Castiel would easily admit that he was feeling rather ravenous after their night of activities. 

Dean placed a plate of food in front of him. 

"You are amazing." Castiel told him before taking his fork and eagerly digging into his meal. 

"I know." Dean replied, his own mouth full of food. 

Castiel could not find it in himself to pause and respond when Dean's food was so delicious and he was so very hungry. 

After breakfast, they separated briefly to freshen up and get themselves dressed for the day. Then, they continued on their morning routine and headed out into the garden. 

Dean chose to be a guinea pig that morning, which Castiel thought was unfairly adorable. Dean's coat was tan with white banded around his back and face. Castiel walked slowly along the pathways of his garden so that Dean could keep up with him. Dean's nose twitched as he sniffed at every plant. 

The garden itself was very joyful. They sang happily as Castiel and Dean passed. Some even reached out to brush against him, which was about as sentient as Castiel had ever seen in his garden that contained absolutely ordinary plants. 

A little before lunch, Castiel sat down in a bare patch of grass and watched Dean wander around. It was insanely cute to see a guinea pig nibbling at grass stems and flower petals. Dean paused, mid-bite, to watch a butterfly float by. Then, his little mouth went back to chomping. 

"You're always hungry, aren't you." Castiel said fondly. Dean glanced at him, a leaf sticking out of his mouth, and glared. His glare was not effective in the least. 

"Would you like some strawberries for lunch?"

Dean noticeably perked at that and nodded his tiny head. 

"You can't have too many, though. It's a treat." 

The guinea pig glared once more, making Castiel smile. 

"Don't worry, there's plenty more delicious things for you to eat." 

Dean huffed and went back to chomping on Castiel's plants. Castiel shook his head and stood. He brushed himself off and leaned down to gently pick Dean up. Dean squirmed a little at first, surprised, but he quickly settled. 

Castiel carried Dean carefully back to the house. He placed Dean down on the kitchen table and then collected a few strawberries to give to Dean. It was entertaining to watch Dean gobble up the berries. His mouth was red, like he'd eaten something bloody, and Castiel briefly amused himself with the idea of a killer guinea. It reminded him vaguely of some movie Dean had told him about that had a killer bunny. 

Dean shifted back when he finished with his strawberries. His mouth was still red (much redder than Castiel would expect from a few berries). 

"I want more strawberries." He said, pointing down at the bowl with a serious look before he disappeared into his room to clothe himself. Castiel huffed a laugh and filled the bowl with more strawberries. Then he started working on sandwiches for them both. 

Dean returned clothed, unfortunately, and sat down at the table. He immediate started popping the strawberries in his mouth, stem and all. Castiel grimaced at that. 

"Fuck off." Dean said without heat. "It tastes good as a guinea pig." 

"Yes, about that," Castiel paused as he placed a plate with a sandwich down in front of Dean, "I believe that your guinea pig form is my favorite."

"Really?" Dean's eyebrows raised. "Why?"

"You are very cute."

"That's the only reason?" Dean asked, scowling. "I'm a man, I'm not cute." 

"When you become a guinea pig you are tremendously cute." 

Dean scowled for a moment more, then grinned. "I'm adorable." 

"Yes." Castiel agreed. "That too." 

"Fine." Dean said. "Since you like that form so much, I'll shift into it more often." 

"That would be acceptable, though I would still like to see you in other forms. It is fascinating that you can be so many of them." 

"I am rather impressive, aren't I?"

"And so very humble too." Castiel added drily, making Dean laugh. 

"Hurry up and eat your meal." Castiel said. "We need to open the shop."

Dean rolled his eyes. "Bossy." 

Castiel chose to be mature and not reply. 

Once he and Dean had finished their lunches and had cleaned up their dishes and utensil, they went to the front part of the building to open up the shop. 

A few of Castiel's customers arrived not long after opening and expressed their concern since Castiel had been unusually closed the day prior. Castiel blushed and ignored Dean smirking across the room. He explained that he and his employee had both come down with a twenty-four hour bug, but, thankfully, they were feeling much better. 

There weren't many customers. One couple entered and asked for a tea that would help with fertility. It was the first time that Castiel had ever been requested of such, but he had what the couple needed and handed it to them. Their purchase went without a fuss. 

Castiel caught himself glancing at the clock more often than he normally did, and he realized it was because he was waiting for the day to be over so that he could eat dinner with Dean and spend more time with the familiar. Their relationship had taken a very drastic, and positive, turn, and Castiel was excited to explore it. 

It was nearly five, closing time, when Castiel felt a magical being of ill intent approaching his wards. He froze and zeroed in on the being. Dean also tensed. He could feel the same as Castiel did because of their bond, which, temporary or not, had increased greatly in power. 

The being was approaching from the front, near the entrance of Castiel's shop. The wards circled Castiel's property, though the shop and house were near the border of the wards since it was close to the street and more convenient for customers, so there was only fifteen feet or so between the entrance to the shop and the wards. 

Castiel felt the being stop at the boundary. It did nothing more, almost as if it were waiting. 

There was something more, too, something almost familiar. Dean's face was white and his eyes were wide when Castiel met his gaze. He obviously recognized something, too. 

Castiel steeled himself and started for the door.

"What are you doing?" Dean asked, alarmed. 

"I will not be a coward in my own home, Dean." Castiel replied, slowing in his step. "Do not worry. My wards are very powerful and few could best them." 

Dean nodded but did not look like he believed Castiel. Castiel paused completely so that he could press a reassuring kiss to Dean's lips. 

"It will be okay." He swore. 

Castiel continued on and flung open the door to his shop. He peered outside and caught sight of the being almost instantly. 

Castiel felt his blood go cold. 

"Hello, brother." 

Guinea pig Dean ^^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Right well this chapter was a bit of a whirlwind but hopefully not too dramatic in the mood changes
> 
> Also I do not blame Gabriel or mean for him to come off as a bad person - I believe that it's okay to love someone from afar, especially if they have problems that are starting to take a toll on your own mental / physical health, but obviously it would be rough for Castiel too 
> 
> Another note - I know Dean doesn't like to talk about stuff but he was making an extra effort for Cas <3
> 
> We're getting into some drama now so look forward to that :D
> 
> I hope everyone had a great week and will have an amazing weekend  
> let me know what you think :)  
> -cap out-


	7. The Showdown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Supernatural 
> 
> #notsorry

"Michael," Castiel growled, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Michael smiled, though there was no sincerity in his expression. He shifted weight from one leg to the other, almost lazily. 

"You look well, Castiel." Michael said. "It's been a while since I've seen you." 

Castiel took a deep breath. Even after all this time, Michael needed only to say a few words to rile Castiel up. 

"You were very clear when you told me you never wanted to see me again, Michael." Castiel said, his voice a low growl. 

Michael chuckled humorously. "Well, dear brother, I meant it. You were a curse to our family. You destroyed Anna."

"That was not my intent." Castiel replied, futilely. 

"Whether it was your intent or not makes no difference. Your foolishness killed our sister." 

"Why have you come here?" Castiel demanded, his teeth gritted. 

"You have something that I want." Michael answered. "I have come to retrieve it."

"I highly doubt that I have something to give to you." Castiel said.

"You'd be surprised." 

"Cas?" Dean's voice called tentatively before the familiar stepped out of the shop to join Castiel. 

Michael's face lit up, and a queasy feeling settled in Castiel's stomach. 

"Dean." Michael purred. "I've been looking for you."

Dean went still next to Castiel and his side of the bond radiated with panic. 

"How do you know Dean?" Castiel questioned. 

"Dean is my familiar." Michael answered easily. "He just got a little lost."

"I'm not your familiar, asshole!" Dean snapped, anger bubbling in the bond. "Fuck off!"

"You said yes, Dean." Michael replied. "That means you're my familiar."

"You?" Castiel gasped. "You were the one to force Dean into becoming your familiar?"

Michael scowled. "The little bitch whined to you? Spilled your secrets, did you, Dean?"

"Such up." Dean growled. 

"Did Castiel do the same in return?" Michael asked. "Did he tell you that he's scared of himself and so he hides in the middle of nowhere like a coward?"

"Don't say another thing about him!" Dean snapped. He looked to Castiel. "I don't care, Cas, you know that."

Castiel's throat was dry, so he swallowed. He nodded absently, eyes still on Michael. 

"How did you find me?" Dean demanded. 

"Really, Dean?" Michael sneered. "We tracked you up until you passed into the wards and you never reappeared. It wasn't a hard guess to make that you would be hidden here, in the one place that's warded for miles. Anyways, there's been enough of this. It's time to go, Dean." 

Dean stiffened at Castiel's side, fear bursting across the bond in a way that kicked Castiel's flight or fight instincts into action. He stepped towards Michael, shielding Dean from his brother's view. Michael rolled his eyes. 

"Castiel, please." He said with a sigh. "This is ridiculous. Hand over the familiar and be done with it. You will never hear from me again." 

"No." Castiel said resolutely. "You will not have him." 

"Really?" Michael asked, his voice taking a flinty and dangerous tone. "And what, pray tell, is going to stop me?"

"I will." Castiel replied, his voice firm as he stood his ground. 

Michael scoffed. "Please. We both know that you are too weak to match me. Or have you forgotten when you tried to prove yourself and failed so terribly?"

"He's got me." Dean's voice came as a growl from behind Castiel. He felt Dean's hand take his own and squeeze. 

"Oh, does he?" Michael said. "I can sense your bond. It is only temporary. It will not be enough to protect you from me, Dean." 

"It will." Castiel said with certainty. 

"It will not." Michael said, sounding bored. "Dean, take my word for it when I say I will _destroy_ Castiel. I will tear him, rip him piece by piece until he is nothing blood and bones. The longer that he stands in front of you, the longer I will force him to live in pain and agony until I kill him. Even after he begs, I will deny him death."

Castiel stared at Michael, utterly revolted. He could feel the horror coming off of Dean in waves. 

Michael smirked. "Unless, of course, you come to me right now and say 'yes.'"

"Dean, no." Castiel turned to his familiar and grabbed onto his shoulders desperately. Dean met his eyes, but already Castiel could see that he had made his decision. 

"Dean, listen to me." Castiel forced himself into Dean's space, if only to grab the familiar's attention. "I would rather die than let him have you." 

"I would rather let him have me than let you die." Dean retorted, eyes flickering to the ground. "I can't lose you, Cas, I can't. And I can't let this be on my conscious."

"And you think I can have it on my conscious?" Castiel asked, almost angry. "It would be agony for me to know that he has you. I can't let you go, I care for you too much." 

"Cas, please, I just want to keep you safe." 

"Then we understand one another." Castiel said. He reached forward to grip Dean's chin, gently forcing Dean to meet his eyes. "Please, Dean. Stay here, by my side."

Dean's breath stuttered. He closed his eyes tightly and swallowed. Castiel watched him, apprehension growing to nausea in his stomach. 

"Dean." Castiel begged softy. 

He could not bear to lose Dean. 

Not now. 

Not like this.

"Okay." Dean said. 

Castiel felt himself gasping, relief flooding through him. 

"Okay." Dean said again, eyes wide and wet. "I trust you. If you tell me that we can stop him, without harming you, I will stay." 

"We can stop him, Dean." Castiel said. "He will not have you, I swear." 

"But can you promise he won't hurt you?" 

Castiel bit his lip and looked away. 

"Cas?" 

"I don't want to lie to you, Dean." 

"That's it." 

Dean pulled away roughly and started walking towards Michael. 

For one horrid moment, Castiel saw Michael grin in victory as Dean's shoulders slumped in defeat. 

Rage roared within him, and he let out a yell. 

Without fully knowing what he was doing, Castiel pointed at Michael and casted a spell. 

Lightning burst from his fingers and soared to Michael. He'd caught his brother off guard, and the bolt hit Michael square in the chest. Michael flung back from the force of the bolt and landed on his back five feet farther away. Dean whirled around to gape at Castiel. 

Castiel marched to Dean, burning with righteous fury and protectiveness. Dean stared at him as Castiel grew closer and did not flinch when Castiel took his chin again. 

"Dean, he will _not_ have you." Castiel declared, his own voice sounding strange to his ears. It was deeper and echoing, almost like it was layered. 

His eyes wide, Dean nodded. 

"What do we do?" He asked. 

"We fight." 

Dean let out a breath and nodded. "Okay." 

Castiel closed his eyes and reached through their bond. He found Dean's magic reserve was waiting and wide open. Castiel reached for it and felt as the reserve strengthened his magic. He turned back to Michael. 

His brother was standing at the wards once more, only now his faux smile was replaced with a hate-filled glare. 

"You will regret that, Castiel." Michael spat, blood dripping down his chin. He rose his hands.

Castiel readied himself. 

Michael struck against the wards. 

Immediately, pain and fire coursed through Castiel and his writhed. He put everything into keeping his wards up, but they were quickly failing. 

Dean's reserve poured into Castiel, soothing his aches and refueling his magic. He forced his wards to stay strong. 

It was not enough. 

The wards came crumbling down with a crack of thunder, and Castiel yelled as he fell to his knees. 

"Cas?!"

Hands grabbed at Castiel's shoulders and face. "Cas?!"

"I'm okay." Castiel rasped. He stumbled to his feet, nearly tripping and falling again. 

He felt so weak. 

Michael advanced on him slowly, teasing him like a cat would a mouse. 

"Cas, form a permanent bond with me!" Dean urged, his hands grasping onto Castiel's forearms.

"What?"

Castiel spared a glance at Dean and found the familiar was staring at him with a pleading expression. 

"Please, Cas, form a permanent bond. You'll be more powerful!"

Castiel considered the offer for merely a second before shaking his head. 

"No." He said. "I will not let you be forced into another permanent bond." 

"It's not the same, Cas!" Dean tried, sounding desperate. "I want a permanent bond with you, I swear!"

"Not like this." Castiel said, his voice a whisper. "Not when there's something pressuring your decision." 

A burst of frustration and dread raced along the bond and Dean ducked his head, but not before Castiel saw the shine of tears. 

"Face me, Castiel." Michael boomed. 

Castiel looked back to his brother and took in a deep, strangled breath. He moved to face Michael, hands tense at his sides. 

"You won't defeat me like this." Michael said. There was a scorched circle on the center of his suit, still smoking.

"I will." Castiel said, determined. He would defeat Michael, because if he did not Dean would suffer the consequences, and Castiel would _never_ let that happen. 

"You will try, and you will fail."

Michael sent his own burst of power in the form of fire hurtling towards Castiel. Castiel shielded back the flames with one hand while shooting another bolt of lightning with the other. It wasn't powerful enough to kill Michael, but it was enough to distract him. 

Michael redirected the bolt with a mere brush of his hand and advanced forward. 

Castiel tried to use another spell, a powerful burst of wind, to push Michael back, much like he'd done with Dean when they had first met. 

Michael stepped through the wind like it was nothing. 

Castiel backed up and summoned all the magic within himself, pulling heavily from Dean's reserves. Dean was running low, too. This would have to be enough. 

Castiel took a steadying breath, then flung his hands out towards Michael. 

Pure energy vibrated and shot through the air, ringing as it his Michael. 

Michael stumbled to a halt and took a step back. 

Castiel felt a flare of victory and pushed farther. 

Michael gritted his teeth and held out his hands to disperse the energy. He took a step forward. 

Then another. 

Another. 

They were losing ground. 

Castiel was unable to maintain the spell anymore and it dropped. He fell to the ground, strength leaving him quickly and leaving him sick and shaky. 

"Cas!" Dean screamed. "Castiel!" 

Castiel felt the familiar at his side, holding him up and brushing back his hair. Sweat trickled down his forehead. 

Castiel stared up into Dean's green, green eyes. 

He had to keep fighting. 

"I'm sorry." Castiel gasped.

"Don't say that, Cas." Dean said roughly. 

Castiel struggled to right himself. He slumped into a sitting position in front of Dean. 

Michael was only a few feet in front of them. He was no longer walking, but instead he watched with an air of indifference. 

Castiel's magic was nearly gone, as was Dean's. There wasn't much more he could do. 

Castiel shoved himself up. He swayed as he stood, but Dean steadied him. 

"This is pathetic, Castiel." Michael said. "Give up while you still have your life."

"No." Castiel said, his voice weak and nearly gone. "You will not have him." 

Michael's eyes started to glow with the power inside of him, which, to Castiel, was utterly terrifying. 

"Cas," Dean hissed into his ear, "You gotta try again." 

Castiel smiled grimly back at him. "I will do my best."

Dean nodded, his eyes fixed on Michael. "You can do it, Cas." 

Castiel nodded.

Michael took another step forward. Castiel and Dean took a step back. 

And again. 

Again. 

Again. 

Then they were against the wall of the store with no where to go. 

Michael continued forward in a slow, lackadaisical pace. He eyes only glowed brighter. 

He was directly in front of them now. 

Dean was behind Castiel. Castiel could feel him trembling. 

Michael started reaching for Castiel.

With the last of his strength, Castiel shoved Michael's hand away and touched his brother's forehead. 

Michael's hands grasped onto Castiel's arm tightly and tugged, but Castiel held firm. Dean moved quickly from behind Castiel to grab Michael and hold him in place. Michael, weakened from their battle, struggled in Dean's hold. 

Castiel closed his eyes and poured his magic into Michael as a fierce, deadly wavelengths of energy. 

"The bond, Cas." Dean's voice was in his ear, yet so far away. "Take from the bond. I can take it." 

Castiel reached further into Dean's magical reserve and _tugged_. 

Magic flowed from Dean in just a small trickle. It was almost gone. 

"Cas, take more!"

Castiel tugged again, harder, and the magic rushed into him. He sharpened and expanded the waves drastically and forced it into Michael in one powerful burst. 

Michael screamed.

Castiel kept going. 

Michael stopped screaming. 

Castiel kept going. 

Then there was only the papery feel of skin beneath his fingers and the scent of ash in the air. Castiel opened his eyes. 

Burned out eyes and a slack jaw greeted him. 

Michael's body fell to the ground. 

"We did it." Castiel breathed, shocked. 

"Dean, we did it!"

Castiel looked to Dean and found the familiar staring at him with a blank expression. 

"Dean?" 

Dean's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he crumbled. 

Castiel barely managed to catch him as he fell. He tumbled under Dean's sudden weight and slipped so that he was sitting in the grass and Dean was laying across his lap. 

Something was wrong.

Dean was limp. 

A sudden shock of dread and horror filled Castiel and he reached for their bond, desperate. 

There was nothing but the shredded remains of a broken bond. 

Castiel screamed. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, look at me posting a week before it's due 
> 
> so was that too dramatic ? I took some liberties with how magic and witches and familiars work but... my fic my rules  
> could you tell I was attempting to describe Castiel smiting Michael? probably not - but at least Michael got what he was due
> 
> let me know what you think... we're almost at the end now  
> Have a great weekend :)  
> -cap out-


	8. Profound Bonds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Supernatural
> 
> Pls enjoy this treat - a very long and very early update :)
> 
> (minor depictions of animal injury in this chapter, because Dean)

Castiel took a heaving breath and stared down at Dean's still form. 

He had to do something. 

He had to see if anything could be done. 

Castiel reached for Dean's neck, his fingers trembling as he pressed them against Dean's pulse point. 

His skin was cool and still to the touch. Castiel curled in on himself as a sobbed worked its way through his throat. He kept his fingers against Dean's neck, desperate. 

There was a beat. 

Then another. 

Castiel gasped and screwed his eyes shut in concentration. Maybe he was wrong. Maybe the pulse he felt was nothing more than his own pulse beating in his fingertips. 

The beating continued, slow and weak but steady. 

Castiel gasped again and cradled Dean's face with his spare hand, eyes roaming over Dean's lax face. His familiar's freckles stood out starkly against his pale skin. 

"Dean?" 

Dean made no movement, no indication of regaining consciousness. Castiel pursued his lips together, filled with worry. He had no idea what repercussions Dean was feeling from their broken bond. Castiel could only guess that the reason he was fine and Dean was in this state was because Castiel had taken too much magic from Dean's reserve, and the result had been a forceful destruction of their temporary bond.

What would become of Dean? Would he wake?

Castiel sat back on his heels. He had no way of making sure that Dean would be okay. 

Thunder rumbled in the not so far distance, causing Castiel to look up. Stormy clouds had rolled in while Castiel had been battling Michael, likely a byproduct of the enormous amounts of magic being released. It would be raining soon, which meant that Castiel needed to get Dean inside. 

He was weakened from his battle with Michael, but Castiel still worked to slip his arms underneath Dean's prone form. One arm was put under the middle of Dean's back and the other under his knees. Castiel moved so that he was on one knee and did his best to ignore how his limbs began to shake. He hoisted the arm underneath the middle of Dean's back up and balanced it on his leg. He inhaled deeply, then pushed himself up to his feet. 

Castiel swayed precariously but managed to stay standing. He felt even weaker while trying to carry Dean. He stumbled toward to the entrance of the shop and quickly realized that he would not be able to carry Dean into the shop. Not only was the door closed, but Castiel would have a difficult time maneuvering his way inside while holding Dean, and the door leading from the shop to the rest of the house was also closed. Castiel didn't know if he had the strength to put Dean down and pick him up again in order to open the doors. It already felt as though his legs would give out.

"Dean," Castiel whispered, glancing down at the unconscious familiar, "Please. I can't carry you like this." 

Dean shimmered, startling Castiel. Dean began to shrink and Castiel did his best to keep hold of him so that he wouldn't fall to the ground. Articles of clothing dropped to the ground. Dean weighed significantly lighter a few seconds later when the shimmering began to die off. In place of Dean's human body was a bundle of grey fur. It took Castiel a moment to realize that he was carrying a koala. 

Dean had transformed, which must have meant that he was still there and still okay. 

The koala's arms were wrapped tightly around Castiel's forearm and his head was pressed against Castiel's chest. Castiel shifted Dean and moved his arms carefully so that Dean's small paws were grabbing onto Castiel's shoulders and his head was tucked underneath Castiel's chin. Castiel was able to support Dean with one arm while open the door with the other. 

His hands were shaking as Castiel grasped onto the handle and yanked the shop's door open. The bell jingled and then jingled again when Castiel slammed the door shut behind him. He just barely remembered to flip the 'open' sign to 'close.' Hopefully the storm would deter people from visiting, though. He didn't want the trouble of someone finding Michael's body.

Castiel hurried from the entrance to the backdoor of the shop that led to the rest of the house. He slipped through, not bothering to close the door behind him, and made his way to the bedroom. Castiel stood at the edge of his bed and gently put Dean down on the bed. The koala curled up, still unconscious or asleep. 

Castiel let out a breath and sat down on at the foot of the bed. He reached out to pet Dean's soft fur and pressed his magic tenderly against their bond. 

Pain seared through Castiel's brain and he lifted a hand to his head quickly as he cried out. 

Their bond was still very much broken, though now it seemed to be festering. That couldn't be good. 

Not knowing what else to do, Castiel reached for his phone, which he had left on his nightstand that morning. 

Castiel only had one number on his phone, but he did not hesitate to press on the contact and dial the number. 

Castiel resumed petting Dean with one hand while he kept the phone pressed against his ear. 

_"Hey, Cassie! To what do I owe the pleasure?"_

"Gabriel," Castiel rasped. He paused, surprised by the hoarseness of his own voice.

 _"Cassie?"_ Gabriel asked, voice tinged with concern. _"You alright there?"_

"No." Castiel answered before he broke off coughing. "I need you here, please." 

_"Okay, Castiel, don't worry, bro. I'll be there in a sec, okay?"_

There was a sharp crack from somewhere outside of the bedroom, but Castiel did not flinch. He ended his call with Gabriel and dropped the phone down on the bed. 

"Castiel?!" Gabriel yelled. 

"In here!" Castiel called back. 

He heard several footsteps, each one increasing in nearness, and then Gabriel appeared in the doorway, looking worried. 

"What happened?" Gabriel questioned as he entered the room and looked over Castiel. "What's wrong? What happened to your wards?"

"Dean." Castiel gestured to Dean, still in his koala form. 

Gabriel's eyes flickered over to Dean and confusion mounted in his expression. 

"Okay. What's up with the koala in your bed?" Gabriel asked. "Is it hurt or what?"

"It's Dean." Castiel answered plainly. 

"Right." Gabriel said. "What does that have to do with anything?" 

Castiel sighed. "Dean is a familiar."

"Oh." Gabriel moved forward to observe Dean and Castiel found himself tensing protectively. 

"Sheesh." Gabriel said. "He's looking a little worse for wear. You look like shit, too, by the way. What the hell happened?"

"Michael stopped by." Castiel answered. 

Immediately, Gabriel stiffened. "What? Why? Where is he now?"

"He's gone." Castiel said. "Dead." 

"Dead?" Gabriel repeated, aghast. "How did you manage that?" 

"Dean helped me." Castiel replied. "But I believe I took too much of his magic."

"Okay, back it up." Gabriel held out his hands. "Can you start from the beginning, or something? Because I have no idea who this Dean person is and all of the sudden you're killing our very powerful older brother with his help?"

"Dean is a familiar." Castiel said again. "He stumbled onto my property and I offered him a place to stay. In return, he formed a temporary bond with me. I did not realize this at the time, but he was running away from Michael because Michael had forced him to form a permanent bond. Michael followed him here, and we ended up fighting."

"Well," Gabriel said slowly, "That is kind of a lot to process."

Castiel ducked his head. "I'm sorry for springing this on you." 

"Hey, there's no need to apologize, Cassie, really. I'm just glad that you called me." 

Castiel could tell that Gabriel was sincere, which had him relaxing the slightest bit.

"So what's wrong with Sleeping Beauty over here?"

"I do not know." Castiel answered. "He fell unconscious after I killed Michael. I think that I used too much of his magic reserve and drained him too far." 

Gabriel frowned and stared down at Dean, looking thoughtful. "Yeah, that would definitely be a problem. Where is Michael anyways?"

"I left him outside." Castiel answered. "I do not think I'm well enough to carry him anywhere." 

"Why not? What's wrong?" Gabriel moved forward and touched Castiel's shoulder hesitantly, like he wasn't sure how Castiel would react. 

"My energy is severely depleted." Castiel said quietly. "Fighting Michael was... exhausting, to say the least."

"Yeah, about that. I really do not see how it's possible that you could do that. No offense, Cassie, but there's no way you could have bested him." Gabriel said.

"It wasn't me." Castiel said. "It was Dean. He is _very_ powerful." 

"I'm going to have to ask you more on that, but first I should probably hide Michael's body." 

"It's in front of the shop." Castiel said, waving his hand weakly in the vague direction. 

Gabriel nodded once and left the bedroom. Castiel sighed and bowed his head. 

"Dean?" He asked softly. "You do not need to be a koala anymore. I think, under different circumstances, you would be rather cute, but I believe that at this time it may help for you to be human." 

Castiel was still looking down, but he could see the light that came with transformation out of the corner of his eye. When he glanced back up, Dean was in his human form. He was naked, of course, so Castiel slipped out of his coat and slowly, almost reverently, he placed it over Dean. 

"Dean." Castiel said, his voice low. 

There was a spark of recognization over the frayed edges of their bond, causing Castiel to jerk in his seat and reach out. 

Sharp, aching pain flared once more, making him wince and groan. 

Why did it hurt so much?

Gabriel returned a few minutes later. He was sweating and panting slightly. He plopped down onto the chair in Castiel's room and wiped his forehead. 

"Damn." Gabriel said. "Michael's fucking heavy." He caught sight of Dean and his eyes roamed over Dean's form. 

"Who's this hot piece of meat?" Gabriel asked. 

"Dean." Castiel replied, annoyed. "The familiar. He was previously a koala." 

Gabriel let out a long whistle. "He's hot. I might have to hit that." 

"Too late, I have beaten you to it." Castiel said with a huff. He was beginning to get frustrated with Gabriel for not treating the situation seriously. 

"Cassie! I'm both surprised and proud!"

"Gabriel, please," Castiel growled, "This is very serious. I do not know what's wrong with Dean." 

"You sure that he's not just unconscious because it took a lot of magic and energy?"

Castiel shook his head. "No, I do not think so. Our bond has also been destroyed, and whenever I try to reach out to Dean through it, it pains me." 

"Hmm. Yeah, that can be a problem." 

"Do you know what's happening?" Castiel asked. 

"I think I do." Gabriel answered. "I don't know much on bonds, but I've had my fair share of temporary ones. Your bond broke because you were taking too much of his magic, right?"

"Yes." 

"Okay, well, I think that the bond broke involuntarily from Dean's end in an attempt to protect him from being too deprived of magic, which would kill him, obviously. Bonds breaking always harms the person breaking it more than whoever's not breaking it, which is why the action is supposed to be mutual."

"But our bond was only temporary." Castiel protested. "It shouldn't have such an effect on him." 

"Temporary bonds can be strong too, Cassie." Gabriel said. "Geez, what are they teaching in school nowadays?"

Castiel scowled. 

"Temporary bonds gain strength with time and familiarity. Ha. Familiarity. Get it?"

"Gabriel."

"Right, sorry. Anyways, temp bonds can get really strong if both parties care deeply for one another or if you want to have a permanent bond."

"Does that happen?" Castiel asked. "Do people truly wish for a permanent bond but not go through with it?"

"Some people don't want to commit." Gabriel shrugged. "You can have multiple temp bonds, but once you form a permanent bond, that's it. Some people just aren't the type to want to bond with one person only. Sometimes people can't form permanent bonds, like they're young or going to move or some shit." 

"What about if they want to form a bond out of necessity?" Castiel asked, his heart sinking. "Would that make a temp bond more powerful?"

"Sure, I'd say that counts." Gabriel shrugged. "As long as they were genuine in their longing. Why?"

"Dean told me we should form a permanent bond before facing Michael since it would make me more powerful."

Gabriel sucked in a breath. "Yeah, sorry, Cassie. That would do it, I think, if he really cared for you and really wanted to form a bond with you. Is it possible that he wanted to form a permanent bond with you before this?"

Castiel bit his lip and looked away. "Yes."

"Did you want to form a bond before this?"

"Yes." 

There was a moment of silence. 

"I'm really sorry, bro." 

"Will Dean recover?"

"I can't say." Gabriel said. "Maybe. But if your temp bond was that very powerful, and if he was already severely weakened before it was broken, the chances may be slim." 

Castiel looked to Dean. "But he has been responding to me. He transformed into a koala when I asked him to and then back into a human. I felt him reaching for me across our bond, even though it was already broken." 

"I dunno, Cassie." Gabriel said softly. "It could just be his leftover magic reacting to you." 

"If he still has magic left, then he should heal, yes?"

"No." Gabriel said, sounding sad. "That's like saying if you still had a drop of blood left in your body you should be able to recover. You need a certain amount to survive." 

Castiel felt himself deflate. 

"Listen, we'll watch him for a couple of hours. That should be enough time to figure out if he'll... make it, or not." 

Castiel released a breath and nodded. He reached out to take Dean's hand. 

"Do you mind if I make some food?" Gabriel asked. "I'm kinda hungry and I'm guessing you're hungry too. It couldn't have been easy to fight Michael. I saw what you did to him, looked bad." 

Castiel only nodded again. 

"Well, see you a bit, bro." 

Castiel glanced over his shoulder at his brother as he walked to the bedroom door. "Gabe?"

Gabriel paused and looked back him questioningly. 

"Thank you." 

Gabriel gave him a somber smile and then left. 

Castiel continued to watch Dean breathe until Gabe came back and shoved a plate of food at him. 

Castiel reached for his plate but froze when he caught sight of his hands. Gabriel noticed them at the same time and took Castiel's wrist so he could pull Castiel's hand towards him and observe it. 

"What the hell happened?"

Both of Castiel's palms were an angry red and covered in blisters, like they'd been terribly burned.

"You grab the a pan from the over without your gloves or something?"

"I think this is from my battle with Michael." Castiel answered. "I didn't realize." 

"Do they hurt?" Gabriel asked. 

Almost on cue, his hands flared with immense pain. Castiel cried out and tried to jerk away, but Gabriel held firm. He spoke a few healing spells softly, and Castiel's hands cooled to a bearable sting. 

"Better?" Gabriel asked.

"Yes." Castiel said. "Thank you."

"No problem." Gabriel said. "Now, eat your sandwich." 

Castiel obediently ate all that he could, then he returned the plate to Gabriel. 

"I'm going to read some books, see if there's anything I can find to help the Dean situation. I don't think there's healing spells that would help with magic depletion and broken bonds, and if there are they're probably temporary and dangerous, but I'll look into it. You take it easy and let me know if anything changes, okay?" 

"Okay." 

Gabriel stood next to the bed for a second longer, then he left the room again, dishes in hand. Castiel waited a few minutes for his brother's footsteps to fade, then he started shifting in his position at the foot of his bed. He more or less crawled on top of his bed until he was next to Dean, then he rolled onto his side. He propped his head up on a pillow and watched. 

Castiel briefly considered spooning Dean, but then decided against it. It would be difficult to move Dean into a position for spooning since the familiar was currently on his back, and Castiel did not know how he'd react to being involuntarily spooned. 

Instead, Castiel settled for reaching across Dean's chest and settling his hand over Dean's heart. He could feel the beat rhythmically against his injured palm, though it was worryingly slow. 

Castiel breathed in and out deeply, completely focused on the man before him. 

His eyelids began to grow heavy, and as much as Castiel tried to fight it, he was utterly exhausted from fighting Michael and the events that had followed.

He slipped into sleep. 

* * * * *

_"Dean!" Castiel screamed, just as a bolt of lighting hit Dean's chest. Dean fell to his knees and then fell forward. Castiel ran to catch him, but Dean's body just went straight through his hands and then vanished into the earth below. Castiel stared at his hands, confused and alarmed, until he heard a groan from somewhere behind him._

_"Cas." Dean called weakly. Castiel whirled around and saw Dean stumbling towards him._

_Castiel ran for his familiar, but just as he reached him, Dean disappeared again._

_Castiel let out a cry of anguish and circled around._

_"Dean!"_

_This time, Castiel spotted a small creature limping slowly towards him. He recognized it as a chinchilla when it looked up at him._

_Cas._

_Castiel jolted at the voice in his head. The chinchilla stared at him, and Castiel wasn't sure how he knew but he knew that the animal was in pain and calling for him._

_It hit him that the chinchilla must be Dean. Castiel rushed forward, desperate to save Dean this time._

_The chinchilla flinched and then fell to its side, small eyes shutting. Castiel crashed to his knees besides the small mammal. He reached out, hands blistered and trembling, and picked the chinchilla up. Blood seemed to seep out of nowhere, staining the grey fur and pouring down to Castiel's lap. Alarmed, Castiel tried desperately to find the wound. Dean twitched feebly a few times before falling still and Castiel sobbed._

_He held the chinchilla against his chest, willing it to heal and live._

_Nothing._

_The chinchilla shimmered and was gone, leaving Castiel blood-stained and empty handed._

_He looked around through teary eyes._

_"Dean!"_

_There was a thud to his right, grabbing his attention._

_Castiel turned to see Dean's still body covered up in Castiel's trench coat. Castiel crawled over to Dean and bent over him, hands seeking a pulse at his neck._

_There was nothing._

_Not a hint of a pulse._

_"No!" Castiel cried. "No!"_

_Then, absolutely agony surged through his chest and Castiel screamed and-_

-shot up in his bed, still screaming and clutching at his chest. 

"Cassie!" 

Castiel curled in on himself, pain increasing with every haggard breath. 

"Castiel!" 

Two hands grasped tightly onto Castiel shoulders and forced him to look up. He met Gabriel's panicked gaze. 

"Hurts." He said through gritted teeth. "My chest." 

Gabriel looked from Castiel to Dean and then placed a hand on Dean's chest. 

"I'm sorry, Castiel." Gabriel said, his voice quiet and resigned. "I don't think he's healing." 

"No!" Castiel flung himself over Dean's body, ignoring the stabbing in his chest, and cupped Dean's face in his hands. "Dean!"

There was no response. 

"There must be something we can do!" Castiel said desperately, looking to his brother. "Gabriel, please!" 

Gabriel shifted and his eyes darted away. 

He knew something. 

"Gabriel, tell me!" Castiel demanded. 

"It's dangerous." Gabriel said, biting his lip. "You could die!"

"I don't care!" Castiel yelled. 

"I care!" Gabriel shouted back, looking absolutely torn. 

Castiel swallowed, just then realizing how tensed and upset Gabriel looked. 

"Gabriel, please." Castiel said, softening his voice. "I have to help him. I can't let him die. Please." 

Gabriel looked at his feet and let out a long sigh. 

"Okay." He conceded. He sounded defeated. "Promise me you won't do anything stupid." 

Castiel did not reply and Gabriel let out a bitter chuckle. 

"Yeah, you're an impulsive type, aren't you?" He mumbled, as if to himself. 

Castiel shifted on the bed, trying not to rush Gabriel into giving him the information he quite possibly needed to save Dean. 

"There's a spell that will allow you to channel your conscious into Dean's subconscious so that you can communicate - if there's anything left to communicate with. You'll have to heal your bond somehow, maybe by forming a permanent bond." 

"Can I do it alone?"

"Yes, but it's safer and easier with a third, so I'll be the one to channel your conscious into his mind and monitor you both."

Castiel nodded. "Okay, do it." 

"Castiel, it's really dangerous. If Dean dies while you're still there, you'll die. If he tries to expel you, it could kill both of you, if not seriously damage you. If something happens and I need to pull you out of his mind forcefully it could also kill you both. The only way you can safely leave is if you want to leave and he wants to release you from his mind." Gabriel explained in a strained tone. 

"I have to try." Castiel said, flooding with determination. "Please. I have to do everything that I can." He looked to his brother, mouth set.

Gabriel searched his eyes, then nodded. 

"Okay." 

"Thank you, Gabriel." Castiel said. "You are truly an amazing brother. Thank you for putting up with me for all these years and caring for me when I did not care for anything else. I love you." 

Gabriel blinked several times and he cleared his throat before replying, "Yeah, I love you too, little bro. Please don't be an idiot." 

"I shall endeavor not to be one." Castiel replied grimly. The pain in his chest still burned uncomfortably against his skin. "Please start the spell."

For a second, it looked like Gabriel was going to refuse, but he nodded and placed one palm against Castiel's forehead and the other palm against Dean's forehead. He spoke the words of the spell swiftly and quietly.

Castiel felt a horrible lurch and the world went dark around him. He had no choice but to follow the pull that was summoning him somewhere far, far away. 

It seemed like both several hours and only a few minutes later when Castiel finally found himself released from the tug. The pain in his chest had changed into immense pressure. Castiel opened his eyes, unaware that he'd closed them, and took in the sight around him. 

Castiel was standing in a forest. There was nothing in front of him but trees and underbrush. Castiel slowly looked around, trying to figure out where Dean might be. He wondered if he would find Dean at all, and if Dean would appear as Dean, or just some light or something. 

Something sleek caught Castiel's attention from the corner of his eye and he focused on it. 

There was something large and black a little ways away. 

Castiel walked towards it. 

It turned out to be a car, one Castiel had never seen before. 

There was a flash of reddish brown on the hood of the car. 

A squirrel. 

It sat on its haunches and stared out into the woods, ears twitching every so often.

Castiel took a step forward. 

The pressure in his chest eased a little. 

Castiel breathed out and took a couple of more steps forward, causing the pressure to decrease again. 

Castiel kept walking towards the car and the squirrel, energy flooding him as the pressure continued to let up. 

Castiel hesitated as he neared the squirrel. He figured it was probably Dean, and he did not want to scare him away. After all, an intruder in your mind would scare anyone. 

"Dean." Castiel called softly. 

The squirrel's tail flicked as it looked to him. It stretched up, watching Castiel guardedly. 

"Hello, Dean." Castiel said. "It is me, Castiel." 

The squirrel did nothing in return but watch Castiel. 

Castiel stepped towards the squirrel and froze when the squirrel jerked and ran to the edge of the hood of the car. 

If he came closer, Dean might jump and be lost to the woods forever. 

"Hello, Dean." Castiel said again, trying to make his voice soothing. "I have missed you." 

The squirrel blinked, still tensed. 

"Maybe you do not remember, but you are a familiar. You probably feel very scared right now, and that is why you are in such a flighty form, but you needn't worry. I am with you and I will not harm you." 

The squirrel took a step away from the edge of the hood, closer to Castiel. It still looked like it was ready to dart, though. 

"I am sorry if I frightened you. I do not mean to intrude in you mind, but you are very ill and I want to help you." Castiel continued. "Do you remember fighting Michael? You aided me by supplying magic, but I did not realize that I took more than you could offer. Our temporary bond broke as a result in an attempt to rescue you and your magic from overuse." 

The squirrel returned to its former spot at the center of the hood. 

"You are dying." Castiel said bluntly. "My brother Gabriel believes that the only way to save you is if we heal restore our bond. Is that something you are interested in?" 

The squirrel moved again to the edge of the hood, but this time it was at the side closest to Castiel. Castiel took a chance and stepped forward. The squirrel watched him but did not move. 

"I have come to care for you very greatly, Dean. You are an instrumental part of my life now. I cannot imagine how it would be without you. Probably dull and lonely. You provided me with company that I denied myself. It would be difficult, to say the least, to return to that state."

Castiel took several more steps so that he was only a couple of feet away from the car and Dean. 

"I enjoy your presence immensely, and not just because of our bond. You are humous and witty and caring, and you make me feel like I am more than my mistakes." 

Only a foot away now. Castiel could reach out and touch Dean, but he resisted. 

"I think that you are beautiful. I wish I could have done more to protect you from Michael, but I swear to you that for the rest of my life, as long as you'll let me, I'll do my best to keep you safe. I've sworn it before and I'll swear it again, whatever it takes for you to know it's true."

Castiel closed the space between himself and slowly reached out a hand. 

"I will do this all for you, and I miss you, Dean, because I love you." 

Just before Castiel could touch the squirrel's head, it jumped off of the hood and dashed out into the woods. It happened so quickly that Castiel could barely comprehend it, but once he had he ran a few feet in the direction that the squirrel had gone. 

"Dean!" Castiel shouted, though he already knew it was useless. 

The hope in his chest stuttered and went out, and Castiel sank to his knees, tears springing to his eyes. 

He'd failed. 

"Cas?"

Castiel looked over his shoulder, startled by the voice, and saw Dean standing next to the car. He grinned at Castiel. 

Castiel hurried to his feet and flung himself at Dean, heart beating madly in his chest. 

"Dean!" 

Dean caught him and hugged him back. 

Castiel sobbed against Dean's neck, feeling so full of emotion. 

"Cas?" Dean asked again. 

Castiel pulled back only far enough to hastily press a kiss to Dean's lips. The familiar startled but kissed Castiel back. 

Castiel broke away and gasped. "Did you hear any of that? Did I confess my feelings to a squirrel?"

Dean laughed. "That was me, don't worry. I heard it all, and I've got something to say to you." 

Castiel blinked, his heartbeat quickening. 

"I love you too, you dork." 

Castiel replied by kissing more frantic kisses to Dean's lips and cheeks and neck until Dean was moaning softly. 

"Not that I don't love this," Dean gasped, leaning back against the car when Castiel started to get adventurous with his hands, "But shouldn't we focus on, you know, getting outta here?" 

Castiel paused in his ministrations. 

"You are absolutely right." He said. 

"So," Dean looked at him with a shy smile, "Permanent bond?" 

"Yes, I do believe that is what we have to do." Castiel said. "Is this really what you want, Dean? Please, tell me if this is something you feel obligated to do. I'll find another way for you to live if you do not want to form this bond. I'll spend every minute I have." 

Dean shook his head, looking fond. 

It stirred butterflies in Castiel's stomach. 

"I want to form a permanent bond with you, Cas." He said. "I'm not lying. I love you." 

Castiel blinked against the sudden onslaught of tears. "I see. In that case - Dean, would you form a permanent bond with me?" 

"Yes." 

Castiel gasped as something powerful snapped into place. 

His magic flared to life again and he felt his power returning. The broken edges of their temporary bond vibrated and sewed back together, then increased in strength. 

He could feel Dean through their bond again, though far closer than he could before. He reached out with his magic and grasped onto Dean just to be sure. Dean tightened his physical hold on Castiel in return. 

"To get back, Gabriel told me that I must wish to leave and you must wish to release me from your mind." 

"Sounds good to me. We've got some physical things to catch up on."

Castiel felt himself smirking in reply. "We do." 

"So, how do I do this?" Dean asked. "Just wish you out or something?"

"I suppose so." Castiel shrug. "And I suppose I just wish myself gone." 

There was a sudden yank and Castiel was once again tugged into darkness. 

Seconds later, he opened his eyes with a gasp.

Immediately, Castiel turned to Dean on the bed.

He saw Dean open his gorgeous eyes. 

Dean met Castiel's gaze and he smiled. 

"Hey, Cas." 

Koala Dean^^^

Chinchilla Dean^^^

Squirrel Dean^^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guys we're almost almost done
> 
> Could you tell that I was trying to fit in as many animals as I could? lol
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter as much as I did  
> we love a supportive big bro Gabe
> 
> the next chapter will be the "final" chapter (it'll be the end of the story, but who knows if I'll do timestamps or not)  
> I should be posting it soon (today being the earliest, and Friday being the latest) so look forward to that
> 
> I hope everyone had an amazing Labor Day weekend  
> Stay safe and have fun!  
> also, let me know what you think :)  
> -cap out-


	9. The Aftermath

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't own Supernatural

"So can you be a cow?" 

"For the millionth time, yes." Dean groused, shooting Castiel a pleading look. Castiel only rolled his eyes and smiled back at him. It was rather amusing to watch Gabriel interrogate Dean. 

After their bond had been restored, they both took a well-deserved nap while Gabriel got rid of Michael's body. Castiel did not want to think about burying it or hiding it, so he was grateful for Gabriel's help. 

Castiel and Dean had woken in the middle of the night and had _reacquainted_ themselves with one another before going back to sleep. They woke in the morning to the smell of eggs and bacon, curtesy of Gabriel. 

During breakfast, Castiel had explained how Dean had come to live with him and how Michael had ended up finding Dean with more detail than he had before. Dean chimed in at times. 

Gabriel was very surprised to learn that Dean's transformations were limitless, hence the amount of questioning. 

"I said I can turn into any animal." Dean said, sounding annoyed. 

"So a horse?"

"Is that an animal?"

"Yeah." 

"Then my answer is yes!" Dean slumped back in his chair with a dramatic sigh. 

"Prove it!" Gabriel said excitedly. "Turn into a horse!"

"I can't do it here." Dean protested. "We're in the kitchen." 

"We can go outside." Castiel pointed out. Dean shot him a betrayed look. 

"Yes! Let's go!" Gabriel jumped to his feet and snapped his fingers. All of the dishes and utensils on the table were suddenly clean and stacked next to the sink. 

"Hey, I was eating!" Dean complained. 

"Let's go, Deano!" Gabriel ignored him and practically skipped out of the kitchen towards the garden. 

Dean looked to Castiel. "Your brother is a menace." 

Castiel smiled and leaned forward to kiss Dean, smirking as the familiar sighed contentedly. 

"Does that make you feel better?" Castiel asked, voice low. 

"Yep." Dean rasped, twisting in his seat. "Way better." 

"Good." Castiel stood. "Let's go before he blows something up." 

Dean groaned and got up. They walked hand-in-hand out to the garden. 

"Finally!" Gabriel said. "Okay. Horse, go!" 

Dean shot him a bitter look before his body shimmered. It took a few seconds, and then a horse was standing in front of them. He had a tan, yellowish coat with a dark mane and tail. 

"Wow!" Gabriel exclaimed. "Can I ride you?"

Immediately, Dean stomped his hooves and dropped his jaw. His tail swished angrily as he shook his head. 

"Sheesh, sorry for asking." Gabriel grumbled. "Fine, can you turn into something else?"

Dean pawed at the ground and rolled his eyes with a huff. 

"How about a bird?"

The horse shimmered and was replaced by a black and white magpie. Dean flew into the air, not too high above them, and then dive-bombed towards Gabriel. Gabriel yelped and ducked as Dean swooped low and warbled angrily. Castiel observed it all with a smile. 

"Something else!" Gabriel exclaimed, holding his hands over his face and head protectively. "Something small and cute! A hummingbird!"

Magpie-Dean shimmered as he flew and was replaced with a tiny, green hummingbird. It zoomed around Gabriel's head and chittered. Gabriel swung his hand at Dean, almost slapping him away.

"Gabriel." Castiel warned. 

Dean chattered some more and then flew to Castiel. He landed on Castiel's head. Castiel could feel Dean moving strands of his hair into particular positions as the familiar settled himself. 

"Well, that's adorable." Gabriel said. "I should take a picture." 

He took out his phone and snapped a couple of pictures, then looked down at them and laughed. 

"I'll send this to you." He said. 

"How wonderful." Castiel mumbled.

"So," Gabriel said, "What's next?" 

"What do you mean?" Castiel asked. He resisted tilting his head because he did not want to displace Dean. 

"Well, Dean couldn't visit his family because he was unbonded and on the run, right? He's neither of those now. Doesn't he want to go home?" 

Castiel blinked and Dean's tiny movements froze. 

The hummingbird launched itself off of Castiel's head and flew in front of his face. He shimmered and turned back into his human form. 

"I can go home, Cas!" Dean said, grinning widely. "I can see my family again!" 

"Dean, that's wonderful!" Castiel pulled him into a tight hug and tried to ignore the strange curling, twisting feeling in his stomach. 

"We can go now, if you want." Gabriel said. "I can snap us there."

"Like in Harry Potter?" Dean asked, eyebrows furrowing. "Apara - something?"

"Yep." Gabriel said. "Exactly like that." 

" _You_ can do that?" Dean said, sounding dubious. "Wouldn't that be, like, super hard." 

Gabriel raised an eyebrow. "I'll have you know that I am a very powerful witch." 

Dean casted a skeptical look in Castiel's direction and Castiel nodded in confirmation. 

"He is one of my brothers." He said. "He is more powerful than I am." 

"Oh." Dean looked back to Gabriel, who smiled smugly. "Er, okay, I guess. Just let me get my clothes on." 

They waited patiently for Dean to redress himself. Castiel glared at Gabriel, who was unashamedly ogling Dean's buttocks.

"Where to?" Gabriel asked, holding up his hand when Dean was finished. 

"Sioux Falls, South Dakota." Dean answered quickly. 

Gabriel snapped his fingers. 

The lurking feeling, which was starting to become familiar, hit Castiel again. He closed his eyes against the sudden blurring of his surroundings. The earth dropped from beneath his feet but Castiel did not feel like he was falling. His feet touched ground again not a second later. He'd transported before. He was able to transport himself, but not very far. It wasn't something he did very often. 

Castiel opened his eyes slowly. They were at the side of a road and there were a few buildings in the distance, so it seemed they landed a couple of miles outside of the city. 

"What the fuck was that?!" Dean said, bending over and holding onto his stomach. "A little warning would be fucking nice." 

"My bad." Gabriel said, not sounding apologetic in the least. 

"Fuck." Dean cursed. "We're fucking driving home. Never doing that shit again." 

Gabriel grinned. "Cassie seems fine." 

"I have had more practice, Gabe." Castiel replied. 

Dean groaned. He looked rather green and Castiel worried he'd be sick. 

After a couple of minutes, Dean recovered enough to stand straight, though his face was still pale. He looked to the distance at the buildings. 

"Damn." Dean breathed. "We're really here." 

"We're going to have to walk a ways away." Gabriel said. "You didn't give me an exact address, after all." 

"That's fine." Dean replied. "I can't believe I'm here. It's been years." 

Castiel reached out and took Dean's hand so he could give it a reassuring squeeze. Dean smiled gratefully at him and they started walking forward. 

Dean seemed to be a bit twitchy as they neared the city. 

"You can shift, if that will make you more comfortable." Castiel told him quietly. Dean nodded without looking ate him and he started to shimmer. 

Dean's clothes dropped to the ground, but there was no animal in sight. Castiel frowned and looked around. 

There was movement underneath Dean's shirt, so Castiel crouched down and moved it away to reveal a tiny harvest mouse. 

"Hello, Dean." 

Dean-the-mouse squeaked and stood on his hind legs. He looked up at Castiel expectantly. Castiel reached for Dean and held his hand out in front of him. Dean walked onto his hand without hesitation, his tail twisting to keep his balance. 

Castiel considered carrying Dean for the rest of the walk, his weight certainly wouldn't be a problem, but then Castiel had a better idea. 

"Here." Castiel moved his hand to his pocket and waited for Dean to move into his pocket. He felt Dean shift around for a second, then his head peaked out of the pocket and glanced up at Castiel. 

"Ready?" Castiel asked.

Dean-the-mouse nodded. 

"That's unfairly adorable." Gabriel said. 

Dean squeaked angrily. 

"Yeah, whatever." Gabriel waved his hand. "Let's hurry this up. I wanna get out of the sun." 

Castiel and Gabriel continued into the city. Dean gave small peeps and indications of direction that they followed. They stopped when they reached a junkyard full of cars. A sign in front read "Singer Auto Salvage." There was a house not far in, surrounded by cars. 

Dean twisted around in Castiel's pocket and Castiel took him out. 

"Would you like to shift?" Castiel asked. 

Dean nodded so Castiel put him down on the ground. The mouse circled a few times, then stilled and shimmered. 

Castiel took Dean's clothes from Gabriel and gave him a pointed look until Gabe sighed and turned around. Dean was a human when Castiel looked back at him. He handed over the clothing. 

"Thanks." Dean murmured, quickly dressing. It would not be ideal for someone to see him naked out in public. 

When he had covered himself, Castiel nudged Gabriel.

"Would you like us to stay out here?" 

"No." Dean shook his head and took Castiel's hand. 

"I can't wait to meet the family!" Gabriel chirped.

Dean glared at him. "Well, maybe Gabe can stay out here." 

"Hey!" Gabriel protested. 

"Never mind, he'll probably explode something or cause a mess." Dean said. 

"You're likely right." Castiel agreed. They headed for the door before Gabriel could complain more. 

Dean hesitated as they reached the door of the house. 

"It will be okay." Castiel promised. 

"I know." Dean said, still looking uncertain. In one fluid motion, he stepped forward and knocked loudly on the door. Then he stepped back to stand next to Castiel. Gabriel was behind them and he stayed quiet, thankfully. 

Castiel could hear footsteps approaching and a gruff voice calling, "Just a second!" 

Dean tensed besides him. 

The door flew open and revealed a larger man with a beard.

"Hey, Bobby." 

The man blinked rapidly several times, his entire stature stiffening, before he practically threw himself forward and wrapped his arms around Dean. Dean stumbled back a step before hugging the man back.

"Where the hell have you been?" The man demanded, not letting go of Dean. 

"I was on the run." Dean answered. "Sorry." 

The man pulled back but kept his hands on Dean's shoulders. "You coulda left a note, ya idjit!" 

"Didn't want you to try and find me." Dean said.

"We tried to find you, anyways." The man said. "Sam tried to track you but it wouldn't go through." 

"I stole a charm." Dean admitted. "It was a non-tracking charm."

"Idjit." The man repeated.

"Yeah, yeah." Dean moved to gesture at Castiel and Gabriel. "These two helped me get back. Bobby, this is my witch, Castiel, and his brother Gabe." 

Bobby took a step forward, looking quite intimidating. Castiel swallowed and tried not to look away. 

"You're his witch?" Bobby questioned, his voice a growl. 

"Yes, sir." Castiel replied, nodding. 

"You force him into anything?" 

"Bobby-" Dean started to protest, but Bobby waved him off. 

"I did not force him into anything." 

"And you're the brother?" Bobby asked Gabriel. 

"That's me." Gabriel said. "And you're his... what? Sugar daddy?" 

"Gabriel!" Castiel exclaimed while Dean spluttered and his face reddened. 

"I apologize for him." Castiel said, greatly embarrassed. 

"There's nothing wrong with having a sugar daddy or being a sugar daddy." Gabriel said with a sniff. "I was just asking." 

"Bobby is my uncle." Dean snapped. 

"So he's still available as a sugar daddy?" Gabriel asked, winking suggestively. 

"Ignore him." Castiel said, sighing. 

"I will." Bobby said. "Why don't you all come in?" 

Bobby led them into the house and to the kitchen. There was a table in the kitchen for them to sit around. Gabriel and Castiel sat on one side and Dean on the other. Bobby stayed standing.

"Before I make you tell me what you've been up to, I'm going to let Sam know you're here." 

Dean's eyes widened and he nodded. 

Bobby disappeared from the room, and Dean looked to Castiel. 

"Are you alright?" Castiel asked.

"Yeah." Dean nodded. "It's a lot, ya know? I haven't been here in more than a year."

"Are you excited to see your brother again?" 

Gabriel straightened in his seat. "Deano's got a brother? Is he hot?"

"He's got a girlfriend, so you can fuck off." Dean replied. 

"Bummer." Gabriel slumped back down in his chair and took out his phone, probably to play games. 

"I'm excited to see Sammy again," Dean said slowly, scratching at the back of his neck, "But what if he's mad at me?" 

"I do not think he'll be mad. I think that he will be happy and relieved to see you."

"Yeah, maybe." Dean said. 

Bobby returned and took a seat next to Dean. 

"Where have you been?" 

Dean looked down at the table, his expression shamed. 

"I, uh, ran away." 

Bobby snorted. "I figured as much. Why'd you do that?" 

"Because those witches kept saying they'd hurt Sam if I didn't bond with one of them." Dean explained. "I didn't know what else to do but run. I'd thought they'd chase me."

"And did they?" 

Dean nodded. "Yeah. Caught me too. I, uh, escaped and found Castiel. He helped to keep me safe." 

Bobby raised an eyebrow. Castiel thought he probably knew that Dean wasn't sharing everything. 

"You two are bonded now?"

"Yeah." Dean said. "We had a temporary bond at first, but then his asshole of a brother showed up, who just happened to be the witch after me, and we had to form a permanent bond." 

This time it was Castiel raising an eyebrow. Dean shot him a pleading look. He obviously did not want to mention how he nearly died. 

"So you _were_ forced into a permanent bond?" Bobby asked, glaring at Castiel. 

"No!" Dean hurriedly said. "I wanted a bond, he did too, circumstances just sped things up." 

"Hmm." Bobby leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, his gaze casting over Castiel and Gabriel. Castiel straightened his shoulders and held up his chin. Gabriel only smirked. 

"I guess I have you two to thank for helping out this idjit." He said.

The flash of relief that Castiel felt could also be seen across Dean's face. He grinned at Castiel, which made Castiel smile in return. 

"These two eye-fuck a lot." Gabriel, ever annoying, loudly told Bobby. "You learn to ignore it." 

"Gabriel!" Castiel hissed, blushing. 

"So you two are together too?" Bobby asked Dean. 

"Uh." Dean blinked. "Yeah. That a problem?" 

Bobby rolled his eyes. "'Course not. Just glad you're happy. You said something about other witches wanting to get you. They still out there?"

"I guess so." Dean shrugged and looked to Castiel. "They're probably more of your old coven." 

"Michael was the strongest." Castiel said. "I have no doubt they knew where he was going and felt his death. Even after they get over their grief, they will likely be too afraid to come for you again." 

"And you'll have us to help you this time." Bobby said. "You're not running away again, ya hear?"

Dean ducked his head like a scolded child. "Yeah, yeah." 

There was a loud pounding at the door that had Castiel flinching and looking over his shoulder in the direction of the door.

"I'll get it." Bobby said, standing. He left the kitchen again. 

Castiel could feel Dean radiating with anxiety. 

_What if he hates me?_

Castiel jolted at the voice in his head. Dean was biting his lip and looking away, obviously nervous.

Castiel closed his eyes and tried to focus. 

_It will be okay._

He opened an eye to check on Dean and saw that the familiar was staring at him with a slack jaw. They didn't have anytime to explore their newfound telepathy, though, because a large man suddenly bounded into the room and skidded to a halt in the entrance way. 

"Dean." The man gasped. 

Dean stood and moved around the table. 

"Hey, Sammy."

The tall man marched forward in two powerful strides and enveloped Dean in a hug. 

"I missed you, jerk." The man said. 

"Bitch." Dean replied, but Castiel knew he was feeling emotional. 

They hugged for a moment longer. In that time, Bobby and a blonde woman also entered the kitchen. 

"Hey, Jess." Dean said as he and Sam drew back. "You're looking hot." 

The blonde woman, Jess, rolled her eyes and smiled. "So are you. I missed those gorgeous green eyes of yours." 

"Really, guys?" Sam asked, sounding exasperated. 

"In front of your boyfriend, no less." Gabriel added, smirking at Dean. 

"Boyfriend?" Sam asked, eyes finding Castiel and then Gabriel. "You have a boyfriend?" 

"Yeah." Dean cleared his throat and gestured at Castiel. "This is Cas. He's my witch and boyfriend." 

Castiel decided he liked hearing Dean call him his witch almost as much as he liked him calling him his boyfriend. 

Castiel stood to shake Sam's hand. "It's nice to meet you-" 

Sam bypassed Castiel's hand entirely and hugged him. Castiel went stiff, unused to sudden bouts of physical affection outside of Gabriel and Dean. He forced himself to awkwardly return Sam's hug. 

"What about me?" Gabriel whined. 

Castiel took a step back and swatted at his shoulder. 

Sam looked back to Dean. "Why'd you leave, man? What happened?" 

Dean looked away before he retold everything he'd said to Bobby. Sam was quiet throughout Dean's explanation, but he looked sad at the end. 

"You didn't have to leave for me, Dean." He said, voice soft. "We could've protected you." 

"I wasn't gonna take that chance, Sammy." Dean said strongly. 

"I know, Dean." Sam sighed, closing his eyes briefly. "I'm glad you're okay, though, man." 

"You got Cas to thank for that." Dean said. "He's a really great guy." 

Castiel flushed and looked at his hands. 

"Thanks, Cas." Sam said, voice utterly sincere. 

"Okay, enough of this sissy, chic-flick crap." Dean said, stepping forward and waving his hands. "What's been up with you two?"

Sam shared a smile with Jess, then Jess held out her left hand. There was a ring with a beautiful diamond on her fourth finger. 

"Sammy!" Dean exclaimed. "Holy fuck!"

"Congratulations." Castiel told Jess. 

"Thank you." She said. 

"About fucking time!" Dean said, punching Sam's shoulder.

"Wedding's going to be in the summer." Sam said. "You up to being my best man?" 

Castiel caught the shimmer in Dean's eyes as his boyfriend replied, "Hell yeah!" 

This cued another round of hugs. Bobby suggested they eat burgers to celebrate Dean's return and Sam and Jess's engagement (even if it had technically been a couple of months prior).

Dean, Sam, and Jess showed Castiel and Gabriel around while Bobby worked on the burgers. The tour ended at in the backyard, where there were even more cars.

"Damn, I missed this place." Dean said. 

"Wanna run around a bit?" Jess offered, eyes glinting with mischief. 

"Fuck yeah!" Dean replied, already shimmering. Jess started to shimmer too, which took Castiel by surprise since he'd felt that Sam was magical. He'd assumed that Sam was the familiar and Jess was the witch.

Seconds later, a red panda stood on top of Dean's clothes and a fennec fox stood on top of Jess's clothes. They immediately dashed away, playing with one another. 

"Are you and Jessica both familiars?" He asked Sam. 

"Nah, I'm a witch." Sam answered. "She's my familiar partner." 

"But Dean is a familiar." Castiel said, not understanding. 

"Our parents were a witch/familiar couple." Sam shrugged. "Romance with permanent bonds runs in the family, I guess."

"Oh." Castiel said. "It is unusual for siblings to be two different beings." 

"Tell me about it." Sam laughed. "It was really weird for everyone who met us." 

"I can imagine." Castiel said thoughtfully.

Dean-the-red-panda jumped around. He was larger than Jess's form, but they still looked like they were enjoying each other.

"You know, I'm really glad that Dean has you." Sam said. "I wanted to form a permanent bond with Dean. I mean, I didn't _want_ to, but I wanted to help him because I knew that some other witches wanted to force him to bond. He knew that Jess and I actually wanted to form a bond, so he said no whenever I offered. He's selfless like that."

"He is." Castiel agreed. "I am glad he had you too. Even if he felt that he had to run to protect you, he knew that you loved and cared for him."

Sam's expression was touched. "You're a good dude, Cas." 

"As are you."

"What about me?" Gabriel asked. "Am I a good guy too?" 

"No." Castiel answered, deadpanned. 

"I just want to be included!" 

"You're acting like an infant on purpose, Gabriel." Castiel growled. "It is not amusing in the least." 

"It's amusing to me." Gabriel argued. "Whatever. My own brother leaves me out of his tender moments, but it's fine. Not like I helped him save the love of his life, or anything." 

Castiel rolled his eyes and sighed. "You're impossible."

He ignored Gabriel's complaints and mumbles and instead focused on Dean and Jess. It was fun to watch two adorable creatures chasing one another. One would be chasing the other, then suddenly it would switch. There was no rhyme or reason that Castiel could discern, but the two familiars seemed to be in sink. They continued to play until Bobby came to tell them that their burgers were ready. 

Gabriel was the first to leave, saying that he was starving. Sam picked up Jess's clothing and the two of them also went inside. 

Castiel picked up Dean's clothing but hesitated before entering. Dean looked back at him. The red panda tilted its head curiously. 

"Dean, I am happy to have reunited you with your family and that you are now home." Castiel said softly. 

Dean turned to face him completely and stood on his hind legs with his front paws resting on Castiel's legs for support, much like a dog. He shimmered and shrunk down until he was a hedgehog in the same position. Castiel bent down to pick him up and he cradled Dean carefully in his hand.

Hedgehog-Dean snuffled at his fingers a bit before looking up at him. 

"Will you be staying here?" Castiel finally got the courage to ask. "I would never hold it against you, of course, if you wanted to stay here instead of return back to my house and shop with me." 

The hedgehog squeaked, but Castiel had no idea what it meant. He decided to keep rambling. 

"I would move out here, if you'd let me, except that I can't bear to leave my garden behind. I might be able to transport back and forth, but I wouldn't be able to bring you with me, and it would be rather taxing on my magic. I completely understand if you want to stay here with your family. It's been a long time since you've seen them and they clearly miss you. I'd hate to be the one to drag you away. If it's a matter of our bond and you've decided that you don't want it now that you have your family back, I could try to break it. It may hurt, but if we both take the brunt of it, you should be able to survive-"

Before Castiel could continue, Dean shimmered and shifted faster than he had ever had before, and Castiel was suddenly arms full of naked Dean. 

"Cas," Dean growled, "Shut up." 

He kissed Castiel then, halting Castiel's brain in its tracks. Castiel started to kiss back just as Dean pulled away.

"You're kind of an idiot, you know?" Dean said. Castiel blinked, unsure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. 

"Of course I wanna stay with you." Dean said, rolling his eyes. "Of course I love my family, but I also love you and your garden and even your stupid shop. Not to mention the hot sex we can have out in the middle of nowhere. I don't want to leave you. We can always visit, and maybe Gabe can teach Sam that transport thing. Sam's really really powerful, like you wouldn't believe, but we were never properly trained so he's probably got loads of potential." 

"You mean it?" Castiel asked. "You want to stay with me?"

Dean's eyes softened and he kissed Castiel again. Castiel felt like jelly as he leaned against Dean. Dean's lips moved so perfectly against his own that Castiel couldn't help sighing and mover closer still and tilting his head just right to deepen their kiss and-

"Hey, what's taking so lo- Ah! God!" 

They broke apart at Sam's startled cry. 

"Fuck, really?!" Sam demanded, sounding shocked. "Right there? Dean's naked!" 

Dean grinned toothily at Sam. "You jealous of my body?" 

Sam wrinkled his nose, eyes focused past Castiel and Dean. "You're a fucking pig, Dean." 

"That can be arranged." Dean said.

"Just hurry and get dressed, we're all waiting for you." 

Sam went back inside, muttering something like, "brain bleach" as he did so.

Castiel couldn't help but chuckle. 

"That was awkward." He remarked. 

Dean smiled as he took his clothes from Castiel and started putting them on right there. "Eh. Serves him right. It's payback for all the times I walked in on him and Jess." 

Castiel laughed again and shook his chest. His chest felt so warm and full and he just wanted to grab Dean and kiss him everywhere. 

"Let's go before they send your brother." Dean said. 

That snapped Castiel in focus and he nodded, not wanting to have to think about the amount of teasing he'd have to endure if Gabriel came to collect them. 

"Hey," Dean paused at the door, his hand on Castiel's waist, "I love you." 

Castiel smiled. 

"I love you too." 

* * * * *

Later that night, Castiel fell asleep curled up with Dean in Dean's old bedroom. 

His sleep was absolutely dreamless. 

horse Dean^^^

(Australian) magpie Dean^^^

Hummingbird Dean^^^

Harvest mouse Dean^^^

Red panda Dean^^^

Fennec fox Jess^^^

Hedgehog Dean^^^

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... it's finally come to the end :(  
> I had an absolute blast writing this fic, and I hope everyone enjoyed reading it   
> Thanks to everyone who waited patiently and continued to read when I missed my post dates and also thanks to everyone who read this fic in general lol
> 
> I had planned to finish this in a month or two at the most, I did not plan for it to take the whole summer, but honestly I do not regret it   
> I absolutely love witch/familiar au's so I'm thinking about how I would write a sequel or at least timestamps, but nothing's certain just quite yet... I could always just write a new witch/familiar au lol
> 
> I hope everyone enjoyed the animal forms that Dean took (I shoved a whole lot into this last chapter and I tried to get most of the suggestions) also pls let me know if the pictures don't work - there were a lot of them
> 
> If you ever want to chat or yell at me you can do so at my [Tumblr](http://tale-to-tell.tumblr.com/) ... or you could always join the [Profound Bond Discord Server](https://discord.gg/profoundbond) (which helped me a lot with ideas and just going forward with this fic) it's full of wonderful writers, readers, artists, and lovers of Destiel 
> 
> Lastly, I'm going to be posting another wip called "Twin it to Win It" probably in the next month or so (I'm trying to finish up Through Darkness and Through Pain but I'm also very excited for the new one) so keep an eye out for that... it's a modern au featuring Castiel, Jimmy, and, of course, Dean
> 
> Thank you again to everyone who read this and I truly hoped you enjoyed this final chapter  
> I hope everyone has a fantastic year  
> let me know what you think :)  
> -cap out-


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